Soul Mate: Sequel to Of Gypsies and Crystals
by bioncafemme
Summary: Eighteen Years have passed since he last held her in his arms. And for Eighteen long years her name has been on his lips, like a prayer. When he fails to retrieve her on her 18th birthday, Sarah leaves to find her own destiny.
1. Chapter 1

Soul Mate: Sequel to _Of Gypsies and Crystals_

A Labyrinth Fanfiction by Bionca Femme

Sarah crept along the dark tunnel. Her fingers sliding along the brick walls, trying to find a passageway. Soon, she found herself twiddling with a lock of her dark brown hair, a habit she had developed in her early childhood, not unlike thumb sucking. Unfortunately, it had always been a habit that adults found charming, so no one had stopped her from doing it. She frowned as she looked around. It all seemed so familiar and yet, she had never been there before. "Where am I?" She whispered.

Suddenly, she heard a clinking noise coming from behind her. Looking down she saw a crystal orb roll past her, she took off after it only to be brought up short, as she was led into another tunnel. The crystal flew up into a cup that was held by an odd looking hand, she followed the hand holding the cup with her eyes upwards to find the obscured face, of a small beggar.

He seemed to look up at her and regard her quizzically, "Well, what have we here?" He asked in a mischievous voice.

Sarah felt a stab of fear pierce her chest and she took an involuntary step backwards, colliding with the wall behind her. "Uh, nothing," She squeaked.

"Nothing?" The figure lurched to its feet, it seemed to grow out of the disguise of the beggar, revealing a man with wild blond hair and mismatched eyes. He held up the body of the costume in one hand and the hat and fake nose in the other. He shook the body at her mockingly. "Nothing, tra, la,la,la!?!" He smirked at her, "Hello Sarah," He purred and threw the costume aside viciously.

Sarah swallowed hard. "Jareth," She eyed him warily.

He slowly approached her, his gaze intent on her face. "Jareth?" His elegant brows shot up in surprise. "Eighteen long years, Sarah. That's all you have to say to me?" He finally stopped in front of her and leaned his arm on the brick wall above her head. His face lowered dangerously to the hollow of her throat and he breathed in her scent.

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. "What do you want?" She growled.

Jareth chuckled menacingly, "You know very well what I want," He moved away from her slightly to look into her eyes. "I've brought you, a gift," He said.

Sarah's eyes snapped open at the familiarity of those words and how they caused a defiant anger to grow from her stomach. "What is it?" She asked.

He grinned and held up his hand, in it was a pendant. A heart pendant, made out of gold. "This was yours." He said.

Sarah took it in her hand, being careful not to touch his gloved fingers as she did so. "Thank you," she said simply.

She heard Jareth sigh sadly and she looked up into his eyes, "I'm sorry." She said sincerely. She didn't want to hurt him. Though she always seemed to, whenever she dreamed of him. She always resolved that the next time she had this dream, should would behave differently. That she would wipe the sadness from his eyes. But always it came to this moment, and then it would end. She waited for the dream to end. Instead he smiled.

"Jareth?" She asked, "I'm supposed to wake up now." She said.

He chuckled, "Do you want to?" He asked, half teasing, half serious.

Her brows knitted together in confusion. "No?"

He raised an elegantly sculpted eyebrow. "You don't seem altogether sure of yourself, Precious," He leaned down and kissed her gently.

It was then that Sarah woke up. She looked around and found herself back on her cot, the blankets wound around her bare legs. "Damn it!" She cried out in frustration. She smelled a spicy and exotic scent, not unlike that which she smelled in her dreams. Even when she was awake she couldn't get away from him. Normally, she would start crying right about now.

But not this time, this time she felt only anger. "Damn you! I will _not_ wait around for you to decide whether or not you want me!" She sat up and let her head fall into her hands, she rubbed sleep from her eyes and face. Months had passed since her eighteenth birthday, and still he had yet to show his pretty face at the Gypsy camp. They needed to be moving on, the Gypsies were nomadic people, they needed to trade, entertain and keep moving. This was not just a matter of having the travel bug, they did this to survive. It was their way of life. The High King had no right to make them wait like this and Sarah was growing ever more furious with him, with each passing day.

Well, enough was enough and she wasn't going to make them pay just because the King fancied himself a good game. "Arrogant prick!" She swore and shoved herself out of bed roughly. Gathering her clothes together and stuffing them into a pack, she got on a pair of leather breeches and her riding boots. Throwing on a peasant shirt and bodice she looked herself over, satisfied she grabbed her bow and quiver and headed out of her tent to find her adoptive Grandmother.

The old woman was not hard to find. It was early morning and the old Gypsy woman was sitting by the fire cooking the morning meal. The old rheumy eyes glanced up from the flames and lit up with love at the sight of her. Sarah was struck with a sudden guilt, but she pushed it down to be dealt with later.

"Bengchai, you are up early." Mareeshka smiled. "Have trouble sleeping, eh?" She elbowed her granddaughter and gave her a knowing wink when Sarah sat next to her.

Sarah rested her elbows on her knees and she covered her face with her hands. Trying to think of something to say that would make this less painful, "He's taking too long," she said simply in a grave tone.

Mareeshka realizing that this was a serious talk Sarah was trying to have, schooled her face into one of concern and patted the young woman on the back, "Perhaps it is just nerves. He has waited for you for eighteen years after all."

Sarah snorted, "He plays games, he sends me dreams to taunt me. He is always on my mind and yet I fear, it is only at night that I am on his."

Mareeshka looked taken aback by Sarah's declaration, "Yer being an idiot girl! You can't seriously think that now can ya?" She looked into Sarah's eyes, "I can see ya do," She changed her approach quickly, "You never saw him when he'd thought you were lost to him, and when he brought ya to me as but a babe. His heart was torn in two!"

Sarah shook her head, "Then his motivations are lost on me. The fact remains, Grandmother. He cannot keep the family here any longer or you will all starve, and I will not have you do that. Not for me, and not for some foolish man who sits on a throne far away from anything remotely dangerous!" Sarah hissed in resentment. All her life she was raised as a fiery consort for the High King, and then when it comes time for him to claim her, he neglects to show up. She wasn't going to be rejected. It was time she made her own way.

"What do ye suggest then my girl?" Her Grandmother was no fool and she could see the wheels turning in Sarah's head.

Sarah stood, "I leave, and I find my own destiny. If his infernal pompousness can lower himself from high up on his pedestal to come and fetch me then, well......I'll think about it. Until then, I'll not be a burden on you any longer!" She growled.

Mareeshka flinched and then stood and embraced Sarah. There was no stopping the girl when she was so determined. And truth be told, as much as she hated to see her granddaughter leave, the girl was right. They were in dire need of supplies and they could not wait more than another week. She just had not the heart to give up on the King. Her heart went out to Sarah, for the rejection she must feel.

"I love ya, like you were my own."

Sarah felt her eyes sting as she hugged Mareeshka tighter, "I love you too Grandmother. Don't worry," she pulled back and smiled deviously at the old woman, "I won't cause too much trouble. Perhaps I can find another band of Gypsies to travel with, or something. You know I'll be ok."

Mareeshka sniffled and nodded, "Better get going before the menfolk wake up, you know they won't let you run off." She said solemnly.

Sarah nodded sadly, gave her grandmother one last embrace and left quietly in the direction of her tent. She grabbed her pack that she'd left there and trotted off into the woods. There was no particular direction in mind, just the overwhelming need to start over.

* * *

Jareth lay away in his large bed, the black silk sheets drawn up over his waist. He stared up at the ceiling, absorbed in his thoughts of, "Sarah." He whispered her name into the early morning light invading his room. Her name when uttered, came always from his lips like a prayer. Eighteen years, he had dreamt of her, and he had dragged her into those dreams with him ever since she turned sixteen. His every move, his every thought had been for her since she'd been taken from him. He snorted in derision, he couldn't even bring himself to go to her. What kind of man had he become? To be so afraid of losing someone that he couldn't even bring himself to try to possess her in the first place? Eighteen years, he hadn't even looked at another woman. He'd pined for her so. His own Mother was threatening to disown him if he didn't go and retrieve her soon.

He sighed, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It might mean that she was real, and if she was real she could be taken away from him again. He couldn't go through that, not a third time. The day was rapidly growing brighter and soon Hoggle would come bursting into his room to tell him what an arse he was being.

He got out of bed and got cleaned up. He was just finishing slipping on his boots when Hoggle flung the door open, he looked up sadly into the irate dwarfs face and then quickly away.

Hoggle had stormed in and stopped just short of Jareth. He tapped his foot impatiently, "Now you've done it," He said accusingly.

Jareth raised his head and arched an elegant eyebrow at Hoggle, "Done what Hogbreath?"

Hoggle shoved a rolled up parchment into Jareths face which Jareth quickly snatched from him with a sneer. "You made her pissed off, that's what!" Hoggle shouted.

Jareth gave Hoggle a warning look about shouting at the High King and was mildly surprised with Hoggle's distinct lack of flinching. Intrigued he unrolled the parchment and started reading, his face turning redder by the second. "She can't do that!" He shouted, noting with some satisfaction that this time, Hogpen did flinch.

He soon recovered though and stuffed his hands on his hips, he was tired of Jareth screwing things up and he was going to have his say, whether or not Jareth wanted to hear it. "You waited too long. She left because she thought you didn't want her!" He stabbed Jareth in the chest with his stubby finger.

Jareth gave the Dwarf an incredulous look, "I do want her!"

Hoggle threw his hands up in the air, "You sure have an odd way of showing it! You need ta fix this." He stated finally and turned on his heel. He started to stomp off when Jareth try and stop him.

"Wait! Where do you think you're going? You're going to help me get her back." Jareth said vehemently.

"No, I ain't. I've spent a good twenty years of my life trying to help you get that girl, and you still manage to screw up! You may be the high King but I got better things to do than go around cleaning up after your sorry ass!" He turned to head off again and then turned back as he remembered that he had one other thing to say. He smiled in satisfaction as he caught the look of utter shock on Jareth's face, "You might make me afraid Jareth, and you might be King but I'm still Sarah's friend and you won't bog me. If you know what's good for ya!" With that he did walk out.

Jareth stared at the open door which Hoggle had just stormed out of and then scowled. He didn't know what disturbed him more. The fact that Sarah was now missing, or that Hoggle was no longer afraid of being sent to the bog.

He threw the parchment down on the floor and grabbed his riding crop. Once he had it in hand he quickly made his way down the grand staircase. He had to find his mother and discuss this mess with her. She might know what to do.

* * *

It wasn't long until Sarah found herself on the Great Highway. She looked down the road one way and back to the other. Spying the Mountains on one end and nothing but distant waves of heat on the other she decided she would head to the mountains. Something about them called to her. Perhaps some need to get a to a higher vantage point and survey the land. Maybe it would help her gain some direction.

The day was warm and pleasant, the breeze gently shuffled through her hair like a lovers caress, and somehow all she could think about was him. The way he'd looked at her in her dreams. His eyes were often loving and worshipful, which scared her. How could he worship her, and if he did, why didn't he come for her. Couldn't he see what it had been doing to her? She was young, but she knew she was in love with him, from the moment she first dreamt of him. He was all she ever wanted out of life. It was saddest damn thing too. To want your whole existence to be entirely about someone. _Well, to hades with that! _She swore to herself.

Her whole life had been a lie, one big huge laughable lie. All she was, was a shadow of someone he used to love. Sure she still had some memories, mostly those memories were of her last moments. She shuddered as she remembered being taken into the eyes of the monster, the beast, the Prince of darkness. She often dreamt of him too, though she was quite sure that he was not a party to those dreams and they were only nightmares. She also remembered having wings and startlingly over the last few weeks her back had begun to itch in two places. Yesterday, she had felt two lumps and feathers. It seems that she was meant to become, that which she was, whether or not she wanted it.

It may be just as well that she left when she did. As sweet as her family was, they would not hesitate in using her as some sort of side show freak. It was her duty to help support her family, using whatever talents she possessed.

"Where are you going, Sarah?" A voice asked her. She yelped and nearly fell into a puddle.

The voice came from a creature clothed in a long white robe, wings protruded from its back but were folded, almost dragging in the dirt and dust at the beings feet. The Angel, wore Sarah's face. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, she had seen this man/angel/thing before.

"Grandfather." She grunted out the greeting and resumed walking. She became perturbed when he fell in step next to her, "The white robes are a bit much, don't you think?"

"You can't escape your destiny, you know." He pointed out ignoring her barb.

"My destiny? Haven't I already died once for my destiny? Wouldn't that make my destiny fulfilled? Haven't I done enough for God or shall I nail myself to a cross next just to prove myself further?" She spat bitterly.

Ahiel sighed, "Glad to see you're still the same." He smiled then, "You're allowed happiness you know, its why you were brought back."

"Really? Well then, why doesn't the one person I've ever loved, want me?" She said quietly.

Ahiel laid a hand on her shoulder and stopped her from walking. Turning her towards him, he planted a kiss on her forehead. "He loves you. He's just a bit of an idiot and he's afraid that if he makes you his wife, something will take you from him."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Lovely." She caught the look on his face, "Will it?"

There was no answer from the Angel and Sarah let her head fall back and she closed her eyes, "God, sometimes I know not why you insist on fucking with me." She took a deep breath and lowered her head again until she was eye level with Ahiel. He was grinning, "Though I know he doesn't appreciate swearing, I'm sure he found that amusing."

Sarah snorted and started walking again, Ahiel once again fell into step beside her. "So, I'm assuming my choice to not wait on Jareth, has called attention to the fact that I can be useful elsewhere, am I right?" She cast a sideways glance at Ahiel and he nodded slowly.

"Wonderful." She said. "So I've already given my life to save the whole of the underground, what does the almighty want from me now?" She asked bitterly.

Ahiel chuckled. "Well, you should ask yourself Sarah. What would Jesus do?"

Sarah stopped in her tracks yet again she turned her now ashen face to regard him warily, "You've got to be joking!"

Ahiel burst out laughing, "Yes I am, as a matter of fact. Relax, love. You're an angel, not the second coming. He's picked someone else for that already." He laughed further when Sarah seemed to relax visibly.

Sarah scowled, "I am not an angel, I'm an abomination. Not my bloody fault you couldn't keep your angelic hands off great great great grandma."

Ahiel sighed. "She was a wonderful woman." Shaking his head sadly, "Those mountains you are heading to, is where you will find the answer to your questions child. Climb the highest peak, wait there for three days and your path will be revealed to you, as will your quest."

"Beautiful." Sarah muttered and trudged off.

* * *

"Jareth, you need to sit down before you wear holes in your boots," Selene scolded him. He flung himself into a chair a cross from her and she sighed heavily. "Tea, dear?" Without waiting for him to answer she poured him a cup and put two lumps of sugar into it. She handed it to him and the ordered them some breakfast.

"Now, tell me what has you in such a snit so early in the morning?" She asked calmly.

"She's gone," He set his tea cup down before he broke the handle off the cup. He was squeezing the life out of it.

"Who's gone?" Selene asked nonchalantly.

"Sarah!" Jareth growled.

Selene's eyebrows shot up, "Oh, really? Good for her."

"Mother!" Jareth glared at her.

"Jareth, you were being a twit. Its about time she decided not to put up with your cowardice any longer." Selene glared right back at him, "You'll need to go after her."

"That much is certain. What I need is advice on what to say, once I find her." Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose. Talking with his mother had gotten more difficult as she got older. Or was it the other way around? He didn't know.

Selene smiled, "Well, 'I'm sorry for being such a twit.' might be a good way to start." She pointed out.

"I doubt its that simple," Jareth scoffed.

Selene shrugged, "You need to apologize, that much you owe her. After that, you might have to keep apologizing. You abandoned her, and you need to show her that you really need her. I've no other advice for you, other than to stop being a twit."

"Mother, please stop calling me a twit! I am your son and I need a little sympathy," Jareth grumbled. A plate of bacon and eggs was set before him and he started eating.

Selene smiled, "I may be your mother, but as a woman I have no sympathy for you. I don't know what you were thinking, not going to her birthday celebration and leaving her to rot with the Gypsies! After all she did for you, for the whole of the underground!" Selene waived her teaspoon around in wild gestures.

"Alright, I'm going!" He got up and stormed off, his face a bright angry red.

"Twit." Selene said sadly and took a sip of her tea.

* * *

**Author's note: I know, I'm painting Jareth as being a bit of an ass so far. I promise he'll get better. Hope you've enjoyed this so far. If you haven't read the first story to this sequel, you may want to turn around and go read "Of Gypsies and Crystals". Keep in mind that this hasn't been beta'd yet. Hopefully it will be in the future. REVIEW!! Please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Soul Mate**

**Chapter 2**

**Authors Note: There is_ slight_ smut in this chapter. =) **

Jareth stood within the remains of the Gypsy encampment. A three month stay had caused significant damage to the once unmarred meadow. There were well worn paths, flattened and browned spots of grass where tents were pitched, and the telltale signs of fire pits. Most telling of all was the fact that there was one lone tent left standing. He recognized it as hers. It had been where she slept since she was old enough for a tent of her own. Jareth had seen it in his crystals many times.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside. Immediately he was overwhelmed with her scent, vanilla and jasmine. Taking a minute for his eyes to adjust he realized that the inside of the tent had been filled with bouquets of wild flowers. '_Almost as if she had died.'_ he thought suddenly. The sight disconcerted him. Leaving the Gypsy clan was sort of like death for them, he supposed. They lived their entire lives within their own traveling band. Accepting new members, never really losing any. They could only but grow until they became too large and then they would split into two groups, like some asexual creature.

It did seem as if she left in a bit of a hurry. There was some clothes left behind and a few perfumes and toiletries. Her cot looked like it had been slept in before she left. He was hit with a pang of guilt. She had perhaps left just after the last dream. He had kept her a bit longer, desiring a kiss. She might have thought that upon waking, he would have been there, bending over her like Prince Charming. But no, she awoke alone for perhaps the thousandth time too many. In retrospect he could hardly blame her for leaving.

"She won't show up simply by staring at her bed you know," a voice behind him sent Jareth whirling around to see who spoke.

Seeing who it was he closed his eyes in annoyance and opened them again, _'Nope, the bastard is still there.'_ he thought.

As if reading his mind Ahiel smiled sympathetically and tilted his head to the side, "It's about time you decided to come looking for her."

Jareth sneered sarcastically, "Thank you for your support."

Ahiel inclined his head and smiled, "So, your quarry is about a day ahead of you, and heading North into the Mountains."

Jareth grinned, "Are you sure she would be wanting you to tell me that? I'm certain she doesn't really want to see me right now."

Ahiel shrugged, "You would be right. However, I'm her Grandfather and I know what's best for her. Also, I have a little job for you to do while she is doing hers."

"What are you on about?" Jareth raised a quizzical eyebrow at the Angel. "You've not given her another quest have you?"

Instead of answering the Angel just continued with Jareth's assignment, "You need to protect her while she is protecting the Mother." Ahiel brushed an invisible speck from his spotless white robes.

"The Mother of what?" Jareths brows furrowed in confusion.

"Surely you can guess." Jareth's confusion turned into a scowl driving home the point that he sincerely did not know what the old fellow was talking about. Ahiel threw up his hands, "Bloody hell! You Fae are an uneducated lot, aren't you?"

Before Jareth could answer Ahiel held up his hand, "Whether or not you've been well versed in religions of the aboveground is no matter. Suffice it to say that Sarah is to protect an important person, and it is your job to see that she keeps her soul this time."

"How in the bloody hell am I supposed to do that?!" Jareth knew that Ahiel could see that he was thinking back to the moment where Sarah sacrificed herself. There was nothing that he could do about it then, and he certainly didn't see how he'd be able to do anything about it now.

"This time there is no need of sacrifice. Now is the time to fight," Ahiel said simply.

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose, "You know I will protect her. Come what may. Right now however, I need to find her. So...north you say?"

Ahiel smirked, "You'll need to follow the great Highway. If you go in Owl form, I imagine you'll catch up by night fall," he watched Jareth step around him and when the King was just about to leave the tent he added another comment, "Jareth, its best if you keep your temper when you see her, and your Mother's advice is sound."

Jareth raised an eyebrow, "What advice?"

"Apologize for being a twit," the Angel said sharply.

Rather than stay and argue with his fiancées distant relative he left the tent brusquely and transformed into an owl, quickly winging his way in the direction that Sarah was headed.

* * *

Hours later Sarah sat in a small way station. It had not been used for some time, but if it rained tonight (which did not seem likely) she would at least be dry. She'd made a fire and was cooking a pheasant she had killed earlier in the day over the flames. She poked at the bird absentmindedly as she replayed her dream from the night before over and over in her mind. Every nuance, every tilt of his head, his catlike grace. She even found her self (not for the first time) salivating over how he looked in those sinfully delicious pants he favored. She groaned at the effect the memory had on her and cursed him out loud. "The sexy Bastard just shouldn't go around wearing those pants, its just not right!"

"Which pants?" A voice from the doorway had her drawing one of her knives from her brace and throwing it before the intruder could react. The knife made a 'thud' as it hit the door jam mere inches from the intruders head. The man jumped visibly, looked at the knife and then a familiar smirk settled itself comfortably on his face.

Sarah snorted in an unladylike way, and then tore a piece of meat off from the pheasant and proceeded to eat. After some long moments of being stared at she scowled at her visitor, "For pity's sake you big featherbrained pompous ass, get in here and sit down! If you're going to stare at me all night, at least do me the courtesy of not doing it from the door!" She didn't look up at him, she didn't need to.

Jareth moved into the small building slowly, taking a seat on the opposite side of the fire from her. He continued his study of her.

Sarah sighed, though she was not uncomfortable under his gaze, she was still very angry with him, "Do you find your affianced satisfactory my lord? Or shall I take off my clothes and twirl around so that you can get a better look? Perhaps you'd like me to bend over and show you my arse? Hmmm?" She did look up at him then, and she was sorry that she did. He looked as if he had just gotten his heart broken. She sighed and popped the rest of her pheasant piece into her mouth. That done she wiped her hands on her pants and then unstrapped her bedroll from her pack. She got up with it and unrolled it on a bare spot on the floor away from the fire. Jareth watched all this in a daze, that was until she unlaced her bodice and pulled off her shirt. Bare chested she began taking off her leather breeches as well.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, flabbergasted that they'd only just met physically for the first time and already she was taking off her clothes. His mouth had gone dry as he took in the delectable sight of her graceful shoulders, full rounded breasts and the creamy skin of her slender waist.

Sarah rolled her eyes skyward and took off the rest of her clothes and got into her bedroll. "Good night Jareth. I'll see you in the morning. We can talk then," not long after he was amazed to hear her breathing even out into the steady calm breathing pattern of sleep. For which he was glad, he did not want her to be uncomfortable with the way his body visibly reacted to her naked form mere feet from where he sat.

He conjured up his own bedroll with a scowl and took off his boots and shirt. Leaving on his own breeches he laid down facing her. The dwindling firelight cast flickering shadows over her bare shoulders and he noticed small protrusions on her back, covered with a white downy substance. He sighed heavily. Was he really able to go through this all again? He loved her so dearly. He knew he should be taking her into his arms right now, and claiming her for his own. Somehow, he couldn't just do that. She had yet to tell him how she felt, and he had never courted her in this life. It just felt somehow wrong to claim her without doing so now. Not that it had stopped him the first time around. He shook his head at his foolishness. Long ago, he would have just teased her into submission. However, he'd screwed things up so royally, the chances that she would look on this favorably were not good. Deciding that at least she was with him now, and that it would have to be enough for awhile, he let his eyelids droop and sleep overcame him sooner than he would have believed.

* * *

Morning awoke him rudely with sunlight a cross his pale face. He opened his eyes and immediately shut them, groaning he rolled over to escape it. Why was his bed so hard? His eyes flew open and he sat up abruptly, his eyes darted around the room looking for Sarah. She was not there, but her pack was, indicating that she was not far.

He wasted no time running out of the cabin he frantically searched for her, calling her name while he plunged into the woods behind the little building.

"I'm over here!" he heard her call back. He ran toward her voice and the sound of rushing water. When he found her he nearly stumbled and fell at the sight of her. She was submerged to her hips in a stream. Her hair was wet and hung down into the water, being that it was longer wet than dry. It was quite wavy when it was dry. She turned slightly and his breath caught, she was every bit as exquisite as he remembered. Whats more her wings seemed to have grown visibly from last night.

"Sarah," he said softly, not knowing whether or not she heard. He cursed himself when she turned to regard him questioningly. "I am supposed to apologize to you for being a twit," he watched her smile sardonically.

"Supposed to," she turned and waded out of the water and onto the shore, she ignored the way he looked at her hungrily. "Am I to assume that means that you won't be?"

Jareth shook his head and tried to recover what bit of sense he had and focused on her face, "I am going to apologize, but not for being a twit."

Sarah flipped her hair over and begun to wring the water from her dark locks. When she did not answer he continued, "I will however apologize for making you wait. I must confess that I didn't know if I could muster the courage to present myself to you. I-"

This is where she cut him off, "Jareth, your apology is accepted. While I think I can understand your apprehension or performance anxiety or whatever. The fact remains that your rejection hurt, it's going to take me awhile to move beyond it and trust you with my heart," she said as she started slipping on the fresh clothes that she had brought with her.

His face turned red, "Performance anxie-" he started to shout indignantly and then stopped himself. He was trying to apologize, not further widen the gulf between them, "Alright, while we're here and you're less than respectable, I would like to point out that in the future you need to refrain from various states of undress until you've....as you say...'move beyond it'." He sneered.

Rather than let loose an angry retort, Sarah flashed him a devilish grin. "Why Jareth, I would think my nudity wouldn't bother you. If I remember correctly, before I died you quite preferred me this way. Besides, I like to keep you distracted. You're much less snarky and more amiable to tame conversation if you're not able to concentrate," she finished dressing and started to walk towards him, just before she passed him she laid a hand on his bicep, "Come on love, its time to get going."

Jareth took a deep breath after realizing that he had stopped breathing with her brazen declaration. His old Sarah would have been more than suitably embarrassed by him catching her naked. His old Sarah would never have refused to stay dressed and she would never have used her nudity to make him 'distracted'. Distracted? Hell, he couldn't even breath! While she was every bit as beautiful as his Sarah, she also had more confidence in herself and having never lost any loved ones, she wasn't nearly as broken as his Sarah. While he should be upset that she wasn't exactly like the Sarah she used to be, he had to admit that he was pleased with her the way she was now, and very.....aroused.

He realized suddenly that this was unfamiliar ground for him, he was the arrogant, dangerous and powerful High King. But with her, he was nothing but a man. A man in love, and scared witless. He let loose an angry growl and stomped back to the way station to find her rolling up her bed roll.

Wordlessly he stalked up to her and snatched the bedroll from her grasp and flung it to the ground. Ignoring her angry protests he grabbed her roughly by the waist, pulled her against him and kissed her soundly.

Initially Sarah struggled against him but soon she found herself lost in the taste of his lips and the unmistakable tingle of arousal growing between her thighs. Just as she was about to moan and press herself further against him, he released her. Waiving a hand his bedroll disappeared and he nodded at her decisively. "Now, its time to get going!" He declared imperiously then turned on his heel and stormed out.

Sarah stood there gaping at the doorway until her shocked expression became inflamed into one of outrage, "Ass!" she shook her fist at the doorway and then hurriedly finished packing the rest of her things.

* * *

Outside the little building Jareth smirked in triumph as he heard Sarah shriek at him in anger. _'Ah, that's more like it.'_ he thought. Now feeling on more familiar ground he summoned a crystal so that they could have easier traveling accommodations.

When Sarah came out she found Jareth holding the tethers of two black horses, and looking extremely bored. She rolled her eyes and snatched the reins he offered her that belonged to the black mare. Shrugging and grinning broadly he led his own Stallion away a few paces and mounted. He observed her while she attached her belongings behind her saddle.

"I suppose you think that little display back there was amusing, don't you?" she groused.

"Most amusing, and dare I say...satisfying as all hell." he leaned forward in his saddle and leered at her.

Rather than argue with him further she mounted and patted her horse on the neck, "The horses are beautiful. Do they have names?" she asked.

Jareth nodded, "That is Night Star and this is Braxis," he gestured to his own steed.

Sarah smiled at the horse, "Well then, Night Star. Lets see what you can do eh?" she dug her heels in and her horse was off and into a gallop before Jareth could even blink.

"Minx," he growled and urged his mount into a gallop as well, trying to at least get her in his sights. She was not going to be getting away from him that easily.

He didn't have far to go as Sarah had reined the horse in to wait for him. When he reached her she had a wild look of joy on her face. "Are all your horses this fast?"

He chuckled, "No," he said simply and let it go at that. Noting that she let him have his little verbal victory by not answering. They rode on in companionable silence for the better part of the morning. He was just as surprised as she when it was he that broke it.

"So what lies in the mountains?" he asked, noting that she stiffened slightly.

"I don't know. I was told that I would wait there for three days and on the third day my next destination would be revealed to me. Were Ahiel here he would say 'have faith' or some such nonsense," she grinned at him.

Jareth smirked, "He is a bit dramatic, isn't he?"

Sarah nodded and looked ahead, deciding it was time that they moved on to more serious matters she took a deep breath, "What happened after-" she kept her eyes on the road and her voice even and calm, "after I died?"

It was Jareth's turn to stiffen, "You're grandfather took possession of your body and used it to defeat the demon who ripped your soul from your body. After that he disappeared with it. He returned several days later and directed me to your birth mother, Linda. She passed on giving birth to you and I took you to Mareeshka," he imagined she knew all this and gave her a look that said not to bother him with silly questions.

Sarah nodded, "I knew all that," She turned to look at him then, "I meant, what happened to you when I died? How did you feel?"

Jareth tore his eyes from her and his face grew hard, "What does it matter?" he asked bitterly.

"It matters a great deal to my understanding of the man I am to marry, if that is indeed what he'll still want by the time this foolishness is over," she said not unkindly.

He took that bit of encouragement and clung to it then he drew a deep shuddering breath, "Your death broke me," he sent her a pleading look, hoping she would drop the matter. However, there was no quarter from her cruelty.

"Go on," was all she said.

"I was angry, with him and with you. Mostly, with myself as I was unable to save you." Jareth closed his eyes in pain.

It was then that Sarah stopped her horse and dismounted, "Its time to eat and we'll need to discuss this more," she said.

Though Jareth also had dismounted he shook his head, "I don't wish to discuss this with you any longer," he snapped at her.

Sarah was not phased, she simply lead her horse into the wood and tied her to a thin tree. That done she gathered some firewood and got the fire started. She seemed to be deep in thought and Jareth could not help but wonder how she was feeling about his confession.

Suddenly needing to feel useful he conjured a lunch for them both, consisting of bread, cheese and apples. He was sitting by the fire when she plopped down next to him.

"Jareth, look at me," she said gently.

He found he couldn't, there was just too much. Too much anger, too much sadness. The sense he had been betrayed but he could find no logical reason for feeling this way. Which made him all the more angry.

Sarah, deciding that enough was enough, slipped over him to straddle his lap, "Sarah-," he started to tell her to stop but he was silenced by her lips on his. It was not a rough kiss like the one he had bestowed upon her this morning. It was gentle and it was the closest thing to right he had felt in a long time.

When she pulled away he felt the edges of his control slipping, the emotions were overwhelming and he felt the loss of her lips like a blow, "Don't do this to me, please..." he begged her. If she made him give in now he would be lost to her and he would never be alright again. He would die without her the next time. "I can't lose you again." he shuddered against her. Her words from this morning echoed in his mind. How could she have changed her mind so quickly.

She would not show mercy however as she leaned into him and held him closely, his head resting on her breasts and her cheek against his head. "I'm sorry that I left you." she spoke her apology in a tone that implied that he too was forgiven and all was not lost between them.

There amongst the trees the Man in Sarah's arms was no longer the great and terrible High King, nor the once arrogant and cruel Goblin King that had loved a girl and given her certain powers. He was a man who let go. He clutched at the woman, no angel who had finally come to bestow her love upon him, and he gave in to her love as she absorbed the silent sobs that wracked his body and cleansed his soul. "Never leave me again!" his command was muffled in her chest.

"Never, Jareth. I'll never leave you again. I swear!" she promised.

Jareth wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him. Wordlessly they pulled away slightly at the same time and their lips crashed upon each other. Meshing, tasting, feeding upon one another. It wasn't long before Sarah felt the laces on her bodice being undone by Jareths nimble fingers. "Jareth," she broke from his kiss panting like an animal, "shouldn't we wait?"

"I need you," was all he said. It wasn't what he said however that made it alright. It was the way he said it. The raw unbridled love and passion in his voice was rough and the sound caressed her. His need to feel her around him, to make her real, to posses her, it drove through her mindlessly, overpowering any protest she may have made. Rather than say anything she let out a small whimper of anticipation as Jareth ripped the bodice from her body and attacked her breasts with his hands through the thin material. She arched into his hands pressing against them. He growled as the material seemed a barrier between them that he needed break through. Sarah gasped as Jareth grasped the material of her shirt with both hands and tore it down the middle, exposing her breasts to him. Without hesitation he began his caressing again, enjoying the feel of her writhing against him from the pleasure his touch was delivering to her body.

Just as Jareth was about to lav one pink taut nipple with his tongue, there was a clearing of a throat that startled the two out of the moment.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." said a familiar voice.

Sarah covered herself with the torn remnants of her shirt and scramble off of Jareth and onto her feet. As did Jareth, he growled when he saw it was his future grandfather-in-law that had shown up at the most inopportune moment.

Just as he was about to say something witty and scathing, Sarah spoke up, "If this is your idea of letting me have my supposed deserved happiness, then I can only imagine what my wedding night is going to be like!" she growled.

Ahiel chuckled good naturedly, "Now Sarah, don't get in a snit. Be happy I stopped you before you did something that couldn't be undone."

Sarah scoffed, "As if I would want it undone!"

In turn Ahiel shrugged, "You can't protect her and bring the life she bears into the world, if you are not pure. Or at least, married," he disappeared just as she was about to question him further.

"Oh, you bastard!" she stomped her foot.

Jareth chuckled and Sarah turned to him, "Don't think I'm done with you, Majesty. You'll be needing to finish where we left off before long," she let a predatory grin creep a cross her face, and Jareth felt his knees weaken.

Rather than stand there gaping, he rose to the challenge and closed the gap between them, pulling her into his arms he kissed her passionately. His lips melding with hers and his tongue plundered the cavern of her mouth, tasting her. He pulled back and smiled down at her, "I shall finish what you started darling, only it will not be the last time nor will it be quick and easy on you," he paused and brought his lips to the shell of her ear, his breath husky with lust, "I will make you mine in every way and you will beg me for repeat performances, nightly."

Sarah felt a flush creep over her entire body. Jareth was far more passionate than she had ever dared hoped, and even in her wildest imaginings he had never said such a thing to her before. She had never heard that sort of thing spoken to anyone before. Even the men in her Gypsy Clan did not say such things to the women they chased. If she was the kind of woman that fainted she was certain that the moment his lips brushed the sensitive skin covering her ear and his breath tickled her neck, she would have fallen into his arms, completely undone. Instead she only gave into a momentary shiver of delight and then took his hand. "We need to eat quickly and go, before I do something to you that Grandfather dearest will regret," She said firmly.

* * *

Luca opened his eyes and turned his head, to gaze at the empty spot beside him in bed. He sighed heavily. It had been ten years since she left him and still every morning his mind constructed a view of her lying beside him. He could even at times hear her breathing, soft and light. He took a deep shuddering breath, as he did every morning and tried to clear the thoughts of her smile, her blue eyes and blond tresses out of his mind. She was gone, and no amount of his obsessing over her was going to bring her back. Her father had even gone so far as trying to introduce him to various women in the tribe, to get him to think about moving on. Still, as he watched their lips moving he could only think of her lips and how sweet they tasted. Then he would be overcome with the need to throw up and he would excuse himself from thier presence. Often he would run all the way back to his house in the Elven village and lock himself in, not emerging again for days.

He could never understand why her father wanted him to move on and stop dwelling on his daughter's memory. After all, she was the only one that he had ever loved after Sarah. Madith had become his everything, and when she became pregnant with their child he was happier than he thought any man had a right to be. And he was right, both his wife and child died in childbirth. He still kept everything in the house, exactly as it was, her clothes still hung in the closet. The baby's things still in his room, the cradle Luca made himself, still empty.

A loud knock on the door startled him badly and he almost fell out of bed. "Hold on!" he bellowed.

He pulled on a pair of breeches and stormed to the door, throwing it open roughly he found there was no one there, that is until he heard a loud 'Ahem'.

"Down here!" Hoggle harrumphed.

Luca lowered his eyes and they settled on the curmudgeonly Dwarf, "Oh, its you," he said.

"Happy to see you too. Get a shirt and shoes on, Bronold wants to see you," the old Dwarf ordered.

Luca's eyebrows shot up and Hoggle scowled at him, "Don't just stand there, hurry the hell up! If we're late, well......don't say I didn't warn you!" Hoggle shook his fist at him and Luca simply shut the door in his face, and started slipping the rest of his clothes on.

When Luca opened the door again, Hoggle was nowhere to be found. Apparently Luca's rude behavior had caused him to stomp off in a fit of anger. Luca snorted, after all Hoggle had put up with Jareth and

Marius for years. He had fully expected him to be desensitized by now.

He paused before going out the door to give himself a look in the mirror hanging on the wall near the entrance. Despite the fact that he was now eighteen years older than he was when he first met Madith, he didn't look a day over twenty five. Thanks to an odd gift from Bronold he had not aged, the effects of the ring were permanent, there were times he went months without wearing it and he never aged. When he questioned the Elven Chieftain about it he simply shrugged and claimed it was a side effect.

The thought of the ring caused him to fish around in his pocket, finding it drowning in lint at the very bottom, he clutched his fingers around it. Once it was retrieved he slipped it over his right ring finger and smiled. He knew Sarah's finger was not as large as his, however no matter which finger he put the ring on, it seemed to fit perfectly. Sighing he headed over to his father-in-law's house.

* * *

Bronold sat in his chair situated in the main room, eying Hoggle with concern. The little fellow was fit to burst with frustration. He could only hope that this quest would loosen the fellow up, that is until Luca entered the room and Hoggle's demeanor went from frustration to anger in less than two seconds. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he wondered (and not for the first time) when those two would ever get along.

"Ah Luca my lad, good to see you!" he plastered on a friendly smile and gestured to a chair he had set out next to him, "have a seat, won't you?

Luca nodded and winked at the little Dwarf who turned his back on him in a comic effort to not have to look at the man. Luca chuckled and plopped himself into the comfortable chair offered to him, heavily and regarded the old elven chieftain with curiosity. "So, what's this about, I have a lot of moping about being useless to do!" he tried to sound humorous, but it came off a bit pathetic and forced.

Bronold to his credit only gave him a sympathetic look. "Luca, I have something of importance that I need for you to attend to. You and Hoggle here," he gestured to the irrate dwarf, "must travel to

Befelheim and find a woman there. She will be with child."

Luca's eyebrows shot up at first and then with mention of the child his face paled into horror. "Then what?"

Bronold leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on Luca's shoulder and squeezed gently, "It is decreed that you see the child into the world and help his mother raise him."

Luca shoved Bronold off his shoulder violently, "The hades I will!" his voice raised and he ignored the warning in the chieftains face. "I will not raise another man's child when I was denied by fate to never be able to raise my own!" he stood only to have a strong hand clamp down on his wrist and yank him back down to eye level with a very angry Bronold.

"Luca, I know you loved Madith and my grandchild with all your heart. But you are preventing them from moving on with your grief and no amount of grieving has made you let go! The One in his infinite wisdom has graced this woman with a child. And she has remained untouched by any man. As a result, she is alone in this world and she will be outcast and forced to raise him on her own!" he sighed at Luca's shocked face.

"Luca, I don't pretend to know the One's plans, nor do I particularly care to know. He gives me things to do, and I find that when I do them, everything works out in the end," he patted the man on the shoulder. "Hoggle is going with you because ever since Sarah disappeared and Jareth with her, he's been insufferable!"

Hoggle made a strangled noise of outrage, "I have not!"

Bronold chuckled and then smiled at Luca. "I know that this will be hard for you, but you have a good heart and you are a chivalrous man. This girl is pure and innocent and frightened. She needs someone in her life that can guide her and take care of her. I know that the One has chosen wisely."

Luca shook his head, he was not as good as Bronold or this One he spoke of lately, thought him. "I will do my best," he relented, then turned to Hoggle, "Come on Hogs, let us go and find us this woman and get this over with." He got up and headed towards the door, he paused and looked back, "What is this girls name?"

Bronold stroked his beard as he tried to remember then smiled, "Theodora," he said.

Luca nodded and then left the room to start his preparations.

Hoggle regarded Bronold knowingly and nodded before he followed the once gypsy man out the door.

* * *

Theodora huddled in a dark corner of an alley, she brought her knees up as far as she could with her burgeoning belly and drew her tattered cloak around her closely. It had been two weeks since her father had thrown her almost physically from their small house in Caris, a large town North of the Goblin Kingdom and in the realm of Kaor the evil Djinn. She shivered involuntarily at the thought of the Djinn's harem and public beheading of wives who did not bare male children.

In that time she had managed to steal her way across miles and miles of open and forbidden country to the town where she was told that she would be safe. However, upon arriving she found that safe was a relative word. Though she was left alone for the most part and Befelheim was mostly tolerant towards unwed mothers, she was not welcome anywhere. Numerous times she had been spat on as she begged for coin or food.

Not for the first time since she had become pregnant had she thought back to when she first seen the Angel of the One. He had come to her and told her that he could make her a mother of a very special baby, and no one would have to touch her. Often she had prayed silent prayers to the God of her father, to let her have her own baby without having to be with a man. A thought that had paralyzed her with fear ever since she had walked in on her father brutally raping his mother. She had vowed from that moment on that she would never marry, and she would _never_ allow a man to touch her. However, as the years drew on and she reached adulthood, her father had put more and more pressure on her to marry so that he could be rid of the responsibility of her. She had refused time and time again. She did however long to be a mother, so when the winged being came to her and told her of this gift, she accepted readily without weighing the consequences. She would never know why her father had not killed her when he found out, for she knew it was not his love for her that stayed his hand. He had instead turned and interesting shade of purple and grabbed her by the arm and tossed her into the street, his screams and insults echoed in her ears, even now.

She could not convince him or anyone else for that matter that she was no harlot, having never been touched by a man. She ran a hand over her stomach, the baby moved against her palm and a tear fell down her cheek. She was six months into the pregnancy and she had no way to provide for the baby or herself for that matter. It looked increasingly unlikely everyday that she would even go full term, this frightened her more than anything. She so desperately wanted this child. So much so that the mere thought that it might not survive the birthing caused her throat to constrict and tears to plummet down her rosy cheeks.

* * *

It was approaching dark as Sarah and Jareth reached the base of the mountain. Tomorrow would be a hard day, Jareth thought sullenly.

Sarah had questioned him once about just transporting to the top of the mountain. He had muttered something about the journey not meaning anything if not done the long way around, and left it at that.

Sarah frowned and set about cooking their meal, she replayed Ahiel's last visit over and over in her mind continuously and the problem it presented. Before long she had realized that it only involved them getting married to move their relationship forward. It could be done in any town that they came to and quickly if need be. With this in mind she studied her King, contemplating whether or not that would be the best course of action. Finally she set her plate down and hugged her knees to her chest, "Jareth?" she asked tentatively.

He looked up from his own meal and regarded her quizzically, "Yes, love?"

She took a deep breath, "What do you want? I mean...no that's not what I mean. What I mean is-" she watched as Jareth raised an elegant eyebrow and smirked at her. She huffed and threw a pebble at him, "Shut up! This is serious you Prat," she scowled at him.

Jareth put his plate down as well and gestured for her to continue, "Go on."

She sighed and closed her eyes willing away the migraine that was forming, "I know that the plan was that we get married, but I was wondering if you had your heart set on a big wedding. Perhaps we could have a small ceremony? Only...a...little...sooner?" her speech had gotten fainter as she explained her idea because his eyes were locked on her intently and his face was blank. Her heart sank, maybe he didn't want to marry her after all.

Suddenly Jareth was next to her and she was in his arms and being crushed in an vice-like embrace. "Jareth," she wheezed.

"Darling? Oh! Sorry," he said sheepishly and relaxed his grip however he did not release her. Planting a kiss in her hair, "_You_ are a brilliant woman, I think it's a bloody fantastic plan. One we shall execute immediately!"

* * *

**Authors Note: So here is the dilemma that I find myself in. Once again, this chapter goes non-betaed (sp?). However that is due to the fact that my beta on _Goblin Kingdom_ is rather busy. Rather than burden her with two stories, (Especially since I have taken to writing both tales in tandem and I sometimes send her two chapters at once**) **I was hoping someone would take pity on me and consent to beta this. **

**On another note I completely and totally apologize to anyone who will find offense at the direction this story is taking. I blame the love of my life for it. It was an odd conversation over oreos about God, the big picture and fanfiction. My boyfriend had said, "Can you imagine if Jesus met Jareth?" I gawked at him then as if he had found the golden ticket. Recognizing the look on my face he then groaned, "Oh God no!" Two chapters in and a Cheshire catlike grin later, and I think I have proven I have no decency. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Soul Mate:**

**Chapter 3**

**Authors Note: It came to my attention that I brilliantly left out the part where I tell you that I don't own the Labyrinth. I don't know if its necessary, but well there you are. I don't, and never did own anything having to do with the labyrinth. As depressing as that is.**

**Warning: The following scenes may be uncomfortable...my favorite kind.**

"Saaarraaah," a deep voice breathed a throaty growl into her ear. She repressed a shudder of revulsion at the thought of the being she couldn't see and only heard. Her surroundings hindered her visually; it was dark, hot and humid, and it smelled. Funny how she always imagined that it might smell of sulfur or brimstone. Instead it smelled of rotting flesh and sex, the combination of which made her gag if she inhaled too deeply. It hung in the air like a menace, threatening to make her retch, which would have been very bad. There was no place on her body that didn't feel bruised, battered and utterly filthy. She dreaded the pain that such spasms would bring.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt hot breath caress over her skin. Rumbling laughter moved over her body as if the tormentor sensed she was conscious and feigning sleep. A clawed hand caressed its way up her bare thigh and dug into her flesh. She whimpered as she felt the blood trickle over her skin.

"I know you're awake," the voice hissed in a sing song fashion. "And I know that you're afraid. It smells delightful, your fear," the dark being put itssnout to her chest and took in a deep breath of her scent, trailing its nose up to her ear, "Mmmm, intoxicating."

"Please, stop," She whimpered.

Her pleas met only with caustic laughter and she was picked up and slammed into a hard surface. She

was not able to cry out in pain as she couldn't breathe. All the wind had been knocked from her lungs with the impact, her chest burned and her consciousness drifted in and out. She vaguely felt scaly hands on her knees, parting her legs as she lay there trying to suck in an elusive lungful of rancid oxygen.

Sarah awoke with a start and she heard the same disembodied voice as if it followed her from her nightmare, "Saaaraaaah."

"You can't hurt me anymore you sick son of a bitch! Do you hear me?!?!" She was standing now, her fists balled at her sides, painfully digging her nails into her palms. "I'm stronger than you!"

All at once Jareth was by her side asking her what happened. She looked at him as if she'd never seen him before. "I...." was all she could say.

He cupped her face in his hands and tried to soothe her shaking form. She was all over the place like she was going to burst from her own skin within a matter of seconds. "Love?" he queried, trying to get her to focus long enough to tell him what the hell was going on.

"It was a dream. Just a bad dream. I'll be fine." She tried to reassure him.

"You are most certainly not fine. Now tell me-," at this point his eyes widened as he took in the sight of the the protrusions on her back. They were no mere protrusions any longer. They were fully grown wings black as a raven's, "Sarah," he indicated that she should look over her shoulder.

She shook her head and refused to look. "Blasted fucking wings isn't it?" She squeezed her eyes shut when he nodded, and tears of frustration seeped from her eyelids. "I hate this. I hate it!"

Jareth smirked at her. "Very much like the temper tantrum I remember you having about a certain baby brother over twenty years ago. My, how some things never change, even when you've gone to hell and back and gotten a new body, oof!" he was elbowed in the stomach by a very irritated Sarah.

"Git," she hissed.

"Chit," he countered.

Sarah stuck her tongue out at him and immediately regretted it as a slow wicked smile crept over his face. "You wait, we'll be married soon enough. And when we are my darling girl, I'm going to show you just what you can do with that lovely appendage of yours."

Sarah flushed a bright crimson and her ears burned. "Prat," she muttered.

Jareth smirked and climbed into her bedroll.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she cried indignantly.

"Going to sleep, now shut up and do the same," he closed his eyes and waited for her to settle in next to him. He grinned to himself as she lay down and muttered a whole string of insults before finally quieting. He'd rather liked pissing her off, it reminded him of the old days. He slipped off to sleep with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

Luca looked down his nose at Hoggle, his expression smug. "So, would you go left," he looked up

the street to his left in emphasis and then back down the street to his right, "or right?"

Hoggle glowered at Luca. "You're just loving this ain't you?"

Luca's smug expression schooled into one of feigned indifference. "Hmm, so-so," he shrugged.

"Bah!" Hoggle threw up his hands in exasperation, turned right, and trudged off down the street.

Not wanting to miss his opportunity to further irritate his traveling companion, Luca swiftly moved to catch up.

Hoggle rolled his eyes as Luca fell into step with him. "Look, I said I had a general idea where the girl is. I didn't say nothin' about knowin' _exactly_ where she was," he huffed.

Luca nodded, the grin still plastered on his roguishly handsome Gypsy face. "Well, can't be right all the time."

Hoggle stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Luca slowly, his eyes widened as his mouth twisted in rage. He stabbed a finger upwards at his infuriating companion. "Look you, you, you Prat!"

Luca's eyebrows shot up and his eyes twinkled in merriment. "Why Hoggle, we've only been in each others company for a day and already you've found a nickname for me. Truly, I am touched," he clutched a hand over his heart with a feigned pained expression.

Hoggle snorted in derision and was about to explain in painful detail how he planned on murdering the louse in his sleep, when a small voice interrupted.

"Excuse me, Sir Dwarf?" a timid voice from behind him prompted Hoggle to whirl around.

Luca too looked up to find the source of the interruption. What greeted him was both the most pitiful and the most beautiful looking woman he had ever seen, other than Sarah of course. Her hair was long and unbound and might have been blond if it weren't covered in dirt and greasy looking. Her face was

a little dirty but her eyes were bright and an unnatural shade of gray. She smiled tentatively and his heart stopped. It lit up her face like the dawn. His eyes traveled down over her frame and he noticed that she was pregnant. Hope swelled within him and he took a step forward. "Theodora?"

Her smile faltered and then her brow furrowed and the smile disappeared altogether. "Did my father send you?"

Luca held out both hands palms up in a gesture of harmlessness. Hoggle snorted at the sight and Luca shot him a look of warning. Turning back to the girl he saw her edge away. "Wait, Theodora! We're here to protect you. We're not from your father. The One sent us to take care of you."

Her eyes narrowed at the mention of the One. She seemed to host an inner debate and then came visibly to a conclusion. "Alright, tell me. When the one sent my child to me, what was the name of the Angel that came to give me the news of this miracle?"

Luca's heart sank, he didn't know the name of the Angel. Unless it was the very same Angel whom was Sarah's kin. "Lady, I know of only one Angel that has been seen in these parts. He has the face of a woman I had once thought I loved. His name is Ahiel."

Relief visibly washed over the girl, however the relief soon turned into a fainting spell and both the Dwarf and Gypsy man rushed forward to catch her.

* * *

Dawn found Sarah and Jareth already making the treacherous climb up the mountain. There had been little talk between them since the night before. Somehow, Sarah had let her nightmare pull her inwards on herself. She built a protective emotional barrier around her heart, layer by layer. There was no way that she was going to let that thing scare her off now. The last thing she needed was a distraction. And though cute he may be, Jareth was one big whopper of a distraction. _Just look at him, with his tight pants and open shirt. His enticingly bare chest and sexy messy hair..._ She shook herself out of that train of thought and trudged upwards at an even more punishing pace.

"God Woman!" Jareth growled. "Can you just slow down for one bloody moment?" he stopped climbing and stood there until she rounded on him and bestowed a glare upon his royal person.

"No, I bloody well can't slow down. If you're going to whine the rest of this climb, you can just magic your Kingly arse up there and wait for me!" she jabbed a finger in the direction of the peak.

Jareth scowled and then his expression changed into one of mischief. "Alright, precious. Have it your way," with that he dropped all of their gear and transformed into an owl.

"Wait a minute!" Sarah yelled into the sky, squinting and trying to get a glimpse at his already lofty form, "Jareth! That's not fair!"

_'What's said is said,'_ an echo in her mind purred and she heard his laughter fill the skies.

Sarah lowered her gaze to the packs and closed her eyes. Counting backwards from ten it occurred to her roughly about when she got to six, that she had wings. Counting forgotten and the wheels turning in her mind, she tested the appendages, stretching them and feeling them move. They were long enough that if she got a good running start, she might just lift right off. She looked down the mountain, easily seeing how it could go extremely wrong. She sighed.

"Grandfather!" She screeched.

As if on cue, Ahiel materialized at her side. "No need to shout, my girl," he took in her appearance. "Something you need help with?"

Sarah smiled, "Teach me how to fly."

* * *

Theodora opened her eyes to find two dark brown ones gazing at her. The face that held them was handsome and mischievous. He had a goatee, shoulder length dark hair and tan skin. She blinked and he smiled at her. She felt her heart skip a beat, "Who are you?"

The handsome man straightened and inclined his head. "I am Luca, formerly of the Boromi Gypsy clan and honorary member of the Elves of light," he gestured to a white haired dwarf in a skull cap and a particularly ugly vest. His face was deeply lined and his nose bulbous, however to Theodora he had the kindest blue eyes, even if his expression was sour. "This is Hoggle," the gypsy fellow named Luca said.

Hoggle nodded. "How do ya do?" he said softly and held out his gnarled hand for the girl to shake.

Theodora smiled and shook his hand. "I think now, Sir Hoggle, I am doing much better," she also turned her happy expression of gratitude back to Luca. "I thank you both for coming to my aid."

Luca smiled wider and then his expression turned to one of consternation. "You haven't been taking care of yourself. You're way too thin for how far along you are and, not to mention my dear, you're deeply in need of a bath," he pulled a face and Theodora, who before she was pregnant would have blushed furiously, could only burst out into laughter. She was filled to brimming with joy that her angel and her God had not abandoned her.

"I do look atrocious," her laughter tapered down to a giggle. She looked around and noticed that she was in what looked to be a small bedroom. It was not ornate, nor held much in the way of furniture. It did have a bed, a dresser and a closet. "Where are we?"

Luca took her hand in his and squeezed reassuringly. "I and my friend have rented a small house for you. I hope you do not mind, but we have taken the other two bedrooms. There is a small bathing chamber for you to use. I would suggest you let me carry you there, you are not well," his voice took on a sad tone and she caught a glimmer of a deep sorrow in his eyes before it disappeared.

She nodded mutely and let him pick her up and bring her to the bath. On their way out of the room Hoggle mumbled something having to do with getting her something suitable to wear once she was finished.

Luca looked down at the girl in his arms, noticing that she looked world weary, and yet she was so young. Her small hands were entwined behind his neck as she held onto him weakly. A pang of anger struck him as he realized just how much she must have gone through. All the running, the begging, going hungry when she could ill afford to, her loneliness. Perhaps it was the last that touched something in him the deepest. He understood loneliness, and that this frail, beautiful and seemingly kind girl had to endure such emptiness was almost unbearable. He tightened his arms about her and squeezed her leg where he held her just under her knee. He wanted to impart to her through this gesture that he was there, and he was lending her his strength. Instead of showing fear or stiffening in his arms she seemed to understand. Her body released a bit of tension and she laid her head down on his muscular chest. She sighed contentedly.

He felt his chest swell with pride. He had caused that happiness. He had caused her to relax. He alone had undone some of that loneliness. And to his surprise as he entered the bathing chamber with her and set her down upon a small chair next to the tub, he found that some of his own loneliness and sorrow had lessened. It was no longer a heavy oppressive ache that made it sometimes hard to breathe, but now a slightly dull pain which settled into the back of his mind, instead of a vice around his heart.

He looked about and found her some towels and soaps, positioning them so that she could easily reach them. He made sure that she had enough strength to climb in and out by herself and then exited the room. Someday, he mused, he would have to thank her for saving his life. He stood there for a long time outside the closed door, just staring blankly at the wood, listening to her sigh, presumably as she sank down into the warm water. He let the sounds of tiny splashes and her delicate movements soothe him.

He was brought out of his daze by Hoggle clearing his weathered old throat.

"I'm not going to ask," he chuckled, for perhaps the first time that Luca could ever remember, and handed him a dress and a pair of slippers he had gotten for their charge. "Those should fit her," he said and then limped off towards their front door. "I'm going to the market to pick the little lady up something to eat, and something for dinner. Make yourself useful and clean something!" with that he shut the door behind him.

"Luca," a soft feminine voice called from the bathroom.

He hurried to the door and spoke through it, "Yes, love?" he winced as soon as the endearment left his mouth and he swore inwardly. He screwed his eyes shut and his forehead hit the door with a soft thud.

_'Idiot!' _he mentally slapped himself.

She was silent for a moment and then she asked him to come in. When he entered he realized that she was still in the tub. Her face was clean but her hair still seemed fairly dirty if a little damp. Her body was hidden by bubbles. "Everything alright?"

She looked at him forlornly. "I can't seem to wash my hair. I thought I could but every time I lift my arms above my head, I get dizzy. I'm not sure I can get out of the tub on my own," a tear slid down her cheek and it looked as if more would follow. "I feel so helpless!" she sniffled.

Luca crossed the room quickly and grabbed the chair that was next to the tub. Turning it around and sitting so that he straddled it he took her hand in his own. "Listen to me, you're just under-nourished, and the baby has taken a lot out of you. We'll get some food into you and you can rest up. You'll be up and about in no time. Most women who are pregnant feel the same frustration as you, its nothing to be ashamed of. You've more right to be tired with the way you've been trying to get by." He stroked the back of her hand gently with his thumb.

She looked down at his thumb and then up into his eyes. "Have you gone through this with a woman before?" she asked suddenly.

Luca could feel the color drain from his face. "I," he swallowed and he closed his eyes, "I have. If you wouldn't mind though, I can't talk about it. Not now," he looked away from her and was silent. His thumb no longer stroking her skin but he held onto her hand nonetheless.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you had painful memories," she decided to switch the subject. "Could you help me please?" she asked.

Luca smiled gratefully. "Yes," he took the floral scented shampoo in his hand. "Could you get your hair wet? Or should I get a bucket or something?"

She leaned her head back and sunk down a bit in the water, soaking her hair through to her scalp. Sitting back up slowly she nodded for him to go ahead.

Luca maneuvered the chair so that he sat behind her. He poured the liquid into his palms and started to massage it into her hair until it was piled onto her head with dingy bubbles. "I may need to do this twice," he warned her. "Rinse," he commanded.

After he had again massaged the shampoo into her scalp and told her to rinse, he told her he would go and get her clothes and be right back so that he could help her out of the tub. She had blushed a deep crimson.

When he came back he found she had unplugged the bath and was watching the water swirl down the drain with great interest. Laying the clothes onto the chair he told her to grab onto his shoulder and stand up. He closed his eyes so that he couldn't see her. He smirked as she giggled.

"Thank you for not looking," she said happily.

He felt the weight of her hand on his shoulder and he used it to guide his hand to her elbow to steady her as she climbed out of the tub. She took the towel out of his hand and then suddenly both her hands clutched his shoulders and she seemed to be sinking. On impulse his eyes flew open and he caught her gently as she slipped. "I've got you!"

Her eyes were wide and stormy and mortified. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked.

Her wet breasts and bulging belly pressed into him as he held her naked form against his midsection. "It's alright," he answered gently trying to mask the desire he felt flush unbidden through him. Making it a point not to look at her body, but keeping eye contact with her, he took the clothes from the chair and set her down in it. He handed her the clothes and the towel and turned his back on her so that she could keep her modesty intact.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"May I turn around now?"

"You know, you are the first one." she whispered.

He turned around quickly to find her dressed. Her long blond hair had been towel dried and she had run her fingers through it. He was surprised to find that it was starting to curl into ringlets without the weight of dirt and grease in it. Her face was no longer dirty and though she was still undernourished looking and a little pale, the dark circles under her eyes were less noticeable. She was in fact quite beautiful. She looked a little embarrassed from his perusal and her cheeks flushed prettily. "The first one to what?" he asked.

She was quiet for a moment and then she looked into his eyes, "The first man to ever touch me."

"You mean when I carried you in here?" he asked in confusion.

She nodded. "Not since I was very young and I skinned my knee badly playing outside and my father carried me into the house and handed me to my mother. He never hugged me or showed me any affection. No one except my mother has ever held me," she said.

"Did I do the wrong thing?" he asked worriedly. Not knowing exactly why she was telling him this.

"No!" she said hurriedly.

His eyebrows shot up and he cocked his head to the side. "What are you trying to say then, Theodora?"

She closed her eyes and he noticed that she was trembling. A tear escaped from one of her eyes and slid down her cheek. "If you could please take me to my room and hold me, nothing else, I just...." she trailed off and her hands came up and covered her face. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Luca wordlessly picked her up and carried her back to her room as she asked, holding onto her tightly as she buried her head into his shoulder. Once they reached her room he set her down on the bed, propped some pillows up and leaned back against them. He then opened his arms and she scooted in next to him and curled up like a child. Well, much as she could with her pregnancy.

Luca let her head rest on his chest and he stroked her hair. They sat in silence for a long time, until he could bear the quiet no longer. "How far along are you?" he asked.

"Six months," she said and felt him nod. She smiled contentedly and sighed.

Luca chuckled softly at her small sounds of contentment. "You know, I want to thank you." he said quietly.

"Why?" she asked.

"I had no purpose in life before coming here. You see, I lost my wife and child during childbirth. I-" he took a shuddering breath. "have been so preoccupied with the dead, I had forgotten that I was alive...before you."

A tear fell down onto his chest past the end of Theodora's nose. She stared at the damp spot on his shirt

and slipped her arm over his waist, hugging him fiercely. "Luca, its ok to cry." she whispered.

They held each other that way for hours, taking turns offering comforting words and telling each other their stories. Soon they heard the Dwarf enter the house and announce that he was going to start dinner.

* * *

Jareth stood on the summit of the mountain watching his beloved soaring in the sky. She had been doing it for over an hour now and he was beginning to think he ought to go up and force her to land.

"You did tell her how to land, did you not?" he asked the Angel next to him testily.

"Certainly. Leave her alone Jareth, she's having fun," Ahiel teased him.

"Well, in case you've forgotten, she has yet to see where she needs to travel to," he said.

Ahiel pointed outwards to a point in the surrounding landscape. There, in the place where Ahiel indicated, was a town.

"Befelheim?" Jareth asked in surprise. "That is where the mother is?"

Ahiel nodded. "She and Luca and your gardener."

"Hoggle?" Jareth gave the Angel and incredulous look. "Whatever for?"

Ahiel shrugged. "Comic relief?" he offered. "The One finds him amusing."

Jareth snorted. "He is good for that," he let his gaze again drift to his beloved. "Might I ask your permission to marry your granddaughter once we reach town?"

"Thought you would never ask," Ahiel said with amusement. "Certainly, you have my blessing."

Jareth inclined his head in gratitude and Ahiel vanished just as Sarah was landing. She dropped their supplies on the ground and regarded him smugly.

Jareth smirked insufferably. "You'll only have to pick them back up again. We're going to Befelheim,"

he ducked as a rock flew over his head, followed by a string of colorful swearing from his beloved. He grinned.

* * *

Somewhere in the deepest reaches of the fiery realm known to aboveground mortals (and one Sarah Williams) as hell, a dark and vile creature sat amongst his servants on his throne. The throne was made of bones, and the ends of the armrests were made out of human skulls. The being himself was an intimidating sight. He was tall, standing at almost seven feet, his skin was a dark blue, so blue as to appear to the casual observer as black. His eyes were white all the way through with the exception of his pupils. On his head were very large pitch black horns, like those of a bull. Instead of feet he had cloven hooves, reminiscent of a satyr. A female demon stepped closer to him, offering him a goblet of wine, and he barred his fangs unleashing a deep guttural growl. Grabbing the goblet he threw it across the room where it hit the wall, spilling its bloody contents everywhere.

This Duke of Hell in service of the Dark Lord himself, was none other than Baal. Baal the liar, Baal the corrupter, Baal the angel slayer. He smiled as he thought of his various titles and praises. He had much pleased his lord over the eons, except with...her.

He roared in frustration sending various creatures skittering from his presence in fear, like insects. No,

his Master had not been happy with him at all when she disappeared right from beneath his grasp. Baal had been preparing to rape her for the third time that day, and just as he had parted her cream colored thighs and was poised to thrust into her brutally, she had vanished.

He had spent the last eighteen years searching for her and finally he had located her. Only to find she had been welcomed back into the hated enemy's arms. The One bestowed her unknown holy powers, enough so that she was his near equal. The only one with more power in the Underground at the moment was Ahiel, her grandfather. The one who had ripped the black heart of Belial from his unholy chest. Not that he had any love for Belial. He was nothing more than a errand boy. A lower power of hell and not worth much of Baal's time. Still, he had failed, and the manner of his failure was of great concern. Then there was the matter of Jareth, the High King of the Underground. He had taken it upon himself to protect the girl turned Angel. And while his powers might not be as formidable as the girl's, she was vulnerable without him to watch her back while she protected the Mother. Jareth was powerful enough for him to be cautious.

All of these factors gave him pause enough that he held back his pursuit of Sarah, biding his time and observing her. That is until the Dark Lord informed him that the One was once again sending forth his son, to spread the word of God to the unbelievers. This time to the realm of the Underground. And he had proclaimed Sarah the protector of the mother. The need to eliminate her became urgent. If his Master was to get his vile magnificent hands on this woman and corrupt her seed,

all her protectors needed to be killed.

There was also an unknown being with the woman as well. The Master could not tell what species the man was or whether or not he was even mortal. It would take a lot of careful planning and more observance of this being called, Luca.


	4. Chapter 4

**Soul Mate**

**Chapter 4: Bosom Companions**

Sarah eyed Jareth from the curtain of her dark hair as they walked the streets of Befelheim. The town itself seemed to be a sprawling mass of dwellings. The streets themselves seemed to have no regularity to speak of, where one moment you could call a street wide, after a few blocks it would seem to narrow.

This inevitably caused the the streets to be unsuitable for an outdoor market, so it was only understandable that the stalls of vendors were massed in the middle of the town square. For Sarah it brought thrilling memories of learning to be a skilled pickpocket and placed a smile upon her gypsy face, in contrast it aggravated Jareth to the point that he glared at anyone who dared stand too close to his person.

She really couldn't help but tease him a little. "Jareth, don't scowl love. It will put wrinkles in that pretty Fae skin," Sarah grinned when he growled in response.

"Fae do _not _wrinkle," he turned his nose up and simultaneously looked down on her.

"_Oh_! Teach me how to do that? Will you? Pretty please?" she mock pleaded.

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Have you always been this annoying?"

Sarah patted his arm in mock sympathy. "Poor dear, your sense of humor seems to have been broken,"

She giggled and narrowly avoided Jareth as he tried to grab her about the waist. Her laughter was short lived however as she collided with a body and went down in a tangle of limbs and outraged shouting.

"Get off of me you old cow!" the person beneath Sarah growled.

"Cow! You ignorant piece of-," she gasped as she realized whom it was that she had landed on, "Hoggle!"

The Dwarf stopped struggling beneath her. "Sarah? Zeus's hairy arse, woman! Get offa me!"

Unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face she extricated herself from Hoggle, who scrambled to his feet and then glared at her. "What the hell ever possessed you to go about flinging yourself at people?" he asked irately.

"Oh you know, a Gypsy has to eat!" she said merrily as she held up his jewels, which she had deftly lifted from his belt, and jangled them. Her face was lit up with mischievous delight.

Hoggle's eyes widened, "Give them back! That's not fair!" he rushed forward trying to grab them from her. Sarah nimbly avoided him and then held him at arms length with one hand, her other waving the jewels over his head.

"Sarah," Jareth's weary voice came from behind them, "as much as I personally love to torment Hoggett, I think it best that we stop drawing attention to our persons."

Sarah looked around the marketplace to find that some of the villagers were giving them suspicious glares. She abruptly dropped the bag of fake jewelry into Hoggle's outstretched hands. "Hoggle, do you have the Mother stashed away somewhere by any chance?" her face dropped abruptly from the happy delight of a young girl to one of grim determination.

Hoggle, being still miffed at her, made a show of ignoring her question until his bag of "lovely jewels" were securely fastened to his belt. He picked up the sack of provisions he had dropped and slung it over his shoulder. "Follow me," he grunted and turned on his heel, swiftly hobbling down a winding street.

Sarah turned to Jareth who rolled his eyes and made a gesture that said plainly, '_After you_'.

Sighing she readjusted her cloak, making sure that the hood was still up. On their way into town it was quickly surmised by both Jareth and Sarah, that Ahiel had been busy appearing to various persons. He was heralding the coming of a Messiah, one who would come and spread the word of the One. He would heal the sick and feed the hungry. After the third or fourth peasant that flung themselves at Sarah's feet, Jareth had conjured a tattered cloak for her. Sarah growled again under her breath, "Feathered idiot!" Ahiel was becoming an ever growing pain right in the ass. She shot Jareth one last look of vexation and plodded off after the dwarf.

Much later she and Jareth found themselves standing with Hoggle outside of a small cottage on the outskirts of town. "Here we are," Hoggle pushed the door open and ushered them inside.

Stepping over the threshold it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Once they did she found herself standing in a warm looking kitchen. A fire was roaring in the hearth, and from a pot over its fire the fragrant smell of cooking stew could be detected.

Hoggle had set the supplies down on the worn but sturdy table, then set about checking on whatever was cooking.

She lowered her hood and removed her cloak, which was quickly becoming stifling in the warmth of the cottage. "Where is she Hoggle?"

Hoggle looked up at her and Jareth and motioned for them to seat themselves. "She's in the other room, asleep. Luca went out this morning to see if Theodora has been discovered here. Seems to me, someone has big mouth, I heard a few rumors yesterday about a young unmarried pregnant woman living with two men in town."

Jareth was unsurprised at the mention of the Gypsy and brother-in-law to his cousin Marius. Sarah looked at him questioningly. He patted her hand. "Someone you used to be acquainted with love. No one to worry about."

She nodded and then tucked into the meal that Hoggle had set before her. Her wings twitched in delight, "I didn't know you could cook Hoggle," she grinned after washing down a steaming bite with a sip of cool water.

Hoggle's wrinkly face colored for a moment and he mumbled something unintelligible as he left the room, presumably to check on the girl.

Jareth snorted before taking a bite of his own stew. "Higgle never does well with compliments."

"Possibly because his sovereign never gave him any. _Or _called him by his proper name," she pointed out.

* * *

Luca weaved his way through the crowded streets of Befelheim. Ahead of him was a cloaked figure that he had earlier heard mention Dora to another stranger in a tavern. Luca was thankful that he had stopped to have a pint of ale there. It was a seedy establishment named, "_The Thirsty Goat"_.

The hooded stranger had been seated at one end of the bar while Luca was seated at the other. Another hooded figure had joined him and they'd gotten into a rather involved discussion. Luca had rubbed the stone on his ring clockwise with the pad of his thumb and concentrated his gaze on the two men.

There was a slight buzzing noise as the magic filtered through the noise of the tavern patrons and magnified the voices of Luca's targets to his ears alone.

"-me what you've found out," came the voice of the hooded stranger.

"The girl is staying with a Dwarf and a Gypsy scoundrel, over on High Street," the other hooded figure said.

"Any others?" the stranger prompted.

"There weren't, but then a hunchback woman and a Fae showed up in the marketplace earlier today. They met with the Dwarf while he was buying supplies. Afterwards he led them towards the cottage. I assume they're here to help with the birth, though there was something different about the Fae, he carried himself like some Lord." the hooded figure scratched his chin.

The hooded stranger took a moment to gulp down some of his ale. "Probably the father of the unborn. I wouldn't be surprised. The wench refused to tell her father who got her pregnant. If he is a Lord or Lord's son, it makes sense that he'd want her to keep their relationship secret. I'll get this information back to her father. You keep an eye on her," the stranger laid down some coin for the ale, nodded to his informant, and left.

Now, Luca was in pursuit of the cloaked stranger as he followed him down the disused alleyways and time-roughened streets of Befelheim. There was no way that he was going to let that man run back to tell Theodora's father where he could come collect her. Not from what Dora had told him about how abusive the fellow was. And the less people that knew her whereabouts the better. He had no doubt that a child of a God would draw both ally and enemy alike. Allies they could always use more of. Enemies? Not so much.

He weaved in and out of the crowd and ducked behind travelers as the stranger glanced back to make sure he wasn't being followed. Luca mulled over the conversation he'd overheard. A hunchbacked woman and a Fae Lord? He had no doubt in his mind that the Fae Lord had to either be Jareth or Marius. His bet was on Jareth. Marius was so wrapped up in Anyanka and his teenage daughters that he was rarely seen outside of the Goblin Kingdom anymore. Not that he could blame them. He had lost himself in life with Madith at one point as well. Even more so in her death. There was a familiar sting at the thought of his wife, but it was less than it had been before.

Ever since he met the girl, he felt his heart begin to actually beat again. Although perhaps not as a normal heart would. Instead of a normal rhythm it had taken to beating sporadically, sometimes speeding up to the point that he thought his chest would burst, and at others it was slow and faint. But it was noted and present instead of absent and lifeless. After so long he reveled in the sensation. In Theodora he had felt a reverence for someone he had never before felt. Gypsies were loyal only to clan and family. He only followed Jareth because he had loved Sarah. Soon after her death he left the service of the King, vowing never to return. He wasn't able to look at the High King without seeing her in his eyes. When news came that she had been reborn and was left with Mareeshka until she was old enough to marry Jareth, Luca was angry. Sarah was gone and no matter how much Jareth wanted her back, there was no way that bringing a little girl that looked like her to the Underground was going to resurrect her from the dead.

So who was this hunchbacked woman? Perhaps an old crone whom Bronold had sent to deliver the baby when it came time? He let this thought slip away as he simultaneously lost track of the stranger. Snarling at himself he took a left down a side street that would lead him right to the cottage, and Theodora.

* * *

Sarah had finished cleaning up the remnants of lunch and joined Jareth in a chair opposite him in front of the small sitting room's fireplace. She handed him a cup of tea before she sat down to peer at him over the rim of her own cup.

Jareth took the proffered tea with a grateful nod. He sipped the earthy yet sweet liquid and noted that she didn't muck it up with cream, but had fixed it with one lump of sugar. Just the way he liked it. He lifted an elegant eyebrow and regarded her with curiosity, which she returned with a satisfied smile and a wink.

The silence that followed was not awkward, and passed pleasurably. Each sucked into their own thoughts, both thankful for a moment's peace and the other's presence. Sarah found herself hoping that this is what afternoon tea with her future husband would always be like. Calm, rejuvenating, a soothing bit of time passed daily between two bonded souls.

Jareth in turn alternated his gaze between the fire and his betrothed, noting the similarities in both. Both caused a warmth and added a bit of cheer to the cool Autumn day. Sarah however, caused the warmth to radiate from within, rather than from without. And for that he would be forever indebted to her. Far too long had he felt dead and frozen inside. Now that she was back at his side, he would never be cold again.

Their brief peace was brought to an abrupt halt however, as the cottage door swung open roughly and a tall fellow in a forest green cloak burst through it. The cloak's hood was drawn over his head, obscuring his features. He shut the door behind himself only to open it a little and put his eye to the crack. When he once again shut the door he swung about and regarded Jareth with confusion.

"Jareth, what are you doing here?" he ground out.

"Luca, the proper way to address me would be 'Your Highness' or 'Your Majesty'. I've even answered to 'His feathered Sexiness' a time or two," he smirked as Luca's face started to drain of color, gradually realizing his error. "Just because we're related by marriage, do not err in believing that you can address me by my given name unless I've given you my direct permission!" Jareth finished with a growl.

Luca sucked in a breath and seemed about to argue, but upon seeing the determined set of the High Kings face he blew the breath out. He knew that Jareth was very stubborn when it came to observance of etiquette, even amongst family. That is of course unless it was Sarah. Oddly, the Fae King also put Hoggle in the same category, though Luca never understood why.

"Forgive me, Majesty. Might I be permitted informal address whilst we are amongst friends?" he kept his voice even and his face expressionless.

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded, "Yes, cousin. You are so allowed."

Luca let a crooked smiled spread over his face, "That's a term I've yet to get used to. Even after eighteen years."

Sarah, whose chair was positioned in such a way that it made her invisible from the doorway, chose this time to stand and greet the newcomer. As she pushed herself to her feet and gracefully turned around she watched the man's smile slide off his face and seemingly onto the floor.

"Impossible!" Luca hissed out.

Jareth snorted, "Hardly."

Sarah's eyes narrowed at the shocked expression of the King's cousin. "Do we know each other?"

Luca's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No," he denied.

Jareth sighed in exasperation. "Forgive him my dear. When you were eighteen the first time he fell in love with you. I won your heart and he has since denied that you were brought back from the dead," he sent a glare at the former gypsy.

Sarah's full lips thinned into a grimace and her wings twitched in irritation. "I do know you," she said, ignoring Jareth for the moment.

"You can't! We've never met," Luca said firmly, his voice rising to an octave below a shout. He noted Jareth tensing and tried to calm himself.

Sarah took a step towards Luca her eyes glittering with memories. "Luca," she murmured to herself.

Luca watched her warily. He refused to let this girl trick him into believing that she was someone she was not. Even if she had wings, even if she had Sarah's face. So did Ahiel. It seemed that the face of Sarah would haunt him, but the girl and her friendship would be forever out of reach. She was dead, and Luca felt that everyone needed to get beyond that fact and move on.

"_Sarah_, is dead. _You_ are an angel. _You_ are not human and you will never be her!" he exclaimed, his pointer finger jabbed in her direction in accusation.

Jareth, knowing that to some he already looked like a fool for bringing back a baby and proclaiming her to be his long lost love, let the scene unfold before him. He was an old being and old beings knew that sometimes the best way to end a conflict, was to do nothing at all.

"I once startled you awake by pouring a jug of water on you," she said and then blushed when the memory finished playing itself out in her mind.

Luca processed the comment and then noticed the blush that spread over her cheeks as her eyes traveled over him seemingly against her will. "Bengchai?"

She nodded and then squealed as he pulled her into a tight hug and swung her around the room. She pulled in her wings to prevent them from knocking into anything or anyone.

When they pulled apart Jareth was looking most displeased. "If you're quite finished manhandling my fiancée, _cousin, _I think we should discuss the manner with which you burst into the house. It was as if the very demons themselves were after you." He watched Luca let go of Sarah hurriedly, his head cocked to the side and his hands fisted on his narrow hips.

Sarah shivered as a memory of this very stance flitted through her mind, tickling her senses. She grinned. _God what those hips do to me..._she inadvertently licked her lips as she regarded Jareth's body.

Jareth, always observant caught the look of unguarded lust in her eyes and gave her a sexy smirk.

To his credit, Luca (being ever dense) failed to notice the entire exchange. Which was just as well, really. Instead he scowled and answered Jareth's question. "Well, I was doing a bit of reconnaissance and I found out that Theodora's father sent people after her. To what purpose, I know not. He threw her out and I have no idea why he is looking for her now. What I _do_ know is that she has been discovered, and so have you," he looked at Jareth and then at Sarah.

Jareth's eyebrow's shot up. "They know that I am the High King?" he asked.

"No. They believe you are a Fae Lord who's been having an affair with Theodora and visiting her in secret," Luca said with a shake of his head.

Sarah had become quiet. Jareth looked at her and abruptly realized that she had gone pale. "Sarah?" he asked.

Sarah sank down into the chair she had just vacated and her hands fell into her lap listlessly. "I think that we have worse things to worry about," she looked into both men's faces with fear in her eyes.

* * *

The demon Baal stood under a tree just one mile outside of the town of Befelheim. He scratched the dusky skin of his elvish disguise and resisted the urge to rake his fingernails through the flesh. He was not used to confining his magnificent blue-onyx form within so small a frame. How it pained him to be unable to paw the grass with his cloven hooves, or stretch his large powerful muscles. He squinted up at the sun with loathing. How he missed the darkness and her sweet embrace. Here in the appalling absence of screams he longed to be where discord blossomed within the moans and breathy pleas for mercy. He yearned for the symphony of damnation to sooth his demon's heart, and how he resented this dimension's brimstone-less cool breeze and its cacophony of warbling birds and chirping crickets. The innocence of the place set his teeth on edge and made him want to wretch.

Soon he spotted a hooded figure on horseback traveling down the road towards him and he smiled viciously. It was only a matter of time now. He would have Sarah and he would bring the chosen one to the Morning Star. He could go home to his lovely patch of fiery misery, and he would never have to look at another damn blade of grass, or hear another bird, for the rest of his immortal life.

The figure reached him and dismounted, coming quickly to kneel at Baal's feet. "Master, I have come with news of the woman and the chosen one."

Baal stepped forth, a satisfied smirk upon his borrowed face. "You have done well Darren. You shall be rewarded when my Master gains control over the weak and pathetic flesh that inhabits this place. Now," he slid a finger beneath Darren's chin lifting his face so that he could look into the blue eyes with his own white on white orbs, "what have you learned? Where. Are. They?" he hissed out the last word dangerously, warning the hooded man not to lie to him.

Darren pulled his face away with a jerk as if he'd been burned. He stared up at Baal as if seeing him for the first time. Perhaps he had, Baal's skin seemed to ripple and glimmer and Darren's eyes caught a flash of fang, a vision of blood drenched blue/black skin and a horned demon assaulting a beautiful winged woman with painful clawing caresses. He swallowed painfully. How had he not seen what Baal was before this? And now that it was too late, he was going to give up these two young innocent women to an unholy creature. Their fate was now an unknown one. He'd just stolen from them whatever chance they may have had for survival. "Dear God," the young man muttered with terror.

Suddenly Baal was kneeling beside him, his face scant inches from his own, his breath hot and rancid upon his skin. "Oh now my dear sweet boy," the demon purred, "its far too late for him to save you now."

There in the cool of the autumn afternoon, the sun shining down as the leaves fluttered unimpeded to the ground, Darren told him everything. And then he knew no more.

* * *

Sarah could feel her blood boiling as the scene unfolded before her eyes. As if she were viewing the whole thing through Darren's blue blue eyes. She felt her skin crawl at Baal's touch, her stomach turn as his breath traveled over her sweating skin and she moaned in pain as she suffered his interrogation techniques. She was barely aware that Jareth and Luca were shouting and shaking her.

When she finally came to herself she sprang up from the chair and glared at the two men. "Shut up you gits!" she screamed.

Instantly Luca was silent while Jareth made a scoffing noise and folded his arms. "Sarah," a warning in his tone.

Sarah had the good grace to blush momentarily. "Sorry Jareth, but really you were both being a bit annoying."

"And you were unresponsive for almost twenty minutes. I have the right to go a tiny bit mental when you do something so freakish! Very much your own fault," he pointed out.

"Moving on!" she turned to Luca. "We need to get out of here," she said.

Luca raised a quizzical eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes. "I promise an explanation, but first we need to get moving. Where can we go that will be difficult to find us?"

"The Labyrinth," Jareth said instantly.

"I like that, just go bumbling about in that place with a woman who is six months pregnant! Oh yes, jolly good holiday that will be!!" Luca waved his arms about wildly, apparently not at all enthused with this idea.

"Luca, calm down," Sarah sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Luca turned to her, his face red and clearly in a state, "I am bloody calm! Zeus's bleedin' buggering arse!" he shouted.

Sarah rolled her eyes and made a sweeping gesture that said, '_told you so'_.

"Alright, as amusing as this all is, can we get back to the matter at hand?" Jareth paused, and when no one said anything he continued, "Luca, I realize that the Labyrinth isn't your favorite place, but having been the sovereign of it for many hundreds of years and with Marius in rule of it now, we should be able to hide there most comfortably." he finished.

It was Sarah's turn to look at Jareth incredulously. "Oh really? Just where do you suppose we do that, hmm?" one eyebrow arched elegantly in a bang on impression of a certain Fae.

"Well my lovely feathered darling. If you recall, the matron of the junkyard had a perfect replica of your bedroom. We can accomplish the same feat with this house. And what is more, it will be completely safe. The Labyrinth's magics are old, and other than the Goblin King it answers to no other, save for the High King. That my dear, would be me," he smirked at her.

"Jareth, what if it's overrun with demons again?" she asked.

Jareth opened his mouth and closed it, not really having an answer.

As if he'd been listening to the whole conversation, which he most likely had. Ahiel chose that moment to show himself. "I can answer that my dear. You see, Theodora's pregnancy is like a watershed between dimensions. Demons can no longer cross in great numbers. The infant's very existence within her womb prevents that. When he is born they will be banned from this world for all time."

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks to Shiroikami for being my beta. =) Hopefully this is turning out at least as well as you all hoped. I am very sorry that I haven't been as attentive with this as I could be. I've been busy with two other projects. The Goblin Kingdom is now finished and the sequel will be underway as soon as I get a significant amount of this story finished. I am also writing a werewolf fiction on Fictionpress. Which I confess to spending more time on than Labyrinth fanfiction. This combined with the fact that as of July, I am no longer enjoying the wonders of unemployment. Which means that I have a lot less time to write.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Soul Mate**

**Chapter 5: Union of Souls**

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* * *

  
**

Theodora looked down at her bare feet, wiggling her toes in the cool grass. Looking up she realized that she was sitting on an embankment of a pond whose water was dotted with beautiful pink water lilies. She was wearing a white robe that seemed to be light and comfortable. A presence settled itself near her and she looked to her left. It was a woman, her hair was long and light blond and it fell in silky waves over her shoulders. She was cradling a baby in her arms. She smiled at Theodora and Theodora smiled back.

"What is your baby's name?" Theodora asked as she smiled down at the infant in its mother's arms.

"I never got a chance to give him one," said the woman sadly. She did not seem disturbed by the fact that her child had no name and she looked up into Theodora's eyes with kindness.

Theodora was hit by a sickening realization, "You're Luca's wife!"

The woman gave her a sad smile and nodded. "Yes, we were married."

"I'm sorry," Theodora said, she felt inexplicably guilty all of a sudden and her cheeks grew hot with shame. A cool hand placed itself over her own and she looked up to find the woman regarding her kindly.

"Don't be sorry," she said and then her face turned a tad more serious, "only do me a favor."

Theodora's tilted her head to the side, "Of course."

"Please tell Luca that he shouldn't mourn us any longer, we're both happy and he needs to move on." she squeezed Theodora's hand.

Theodora smiled sadly and nodded in agreement. This was the least she could do for the woman whose husband she regarded fondly.

Madith's eyes suddenly turned from kind to very serious, "You need to be prepared for a long journey, an awakening, and the loss of a loved one."

"What? Who?" her hand flew instinctively to her swollen abdomen. The hand that had held hers previously once again settled over hers, imparting comfort.

"No honored Mother, not your child. You and the child are blessed with protection. One of your companions. I do not know who, it is not for me to know. But spend as much time with each of them as you can. Their soul will go to the beyond with peace having been blessed with your light." She took her hand from Theodora and instantly the young woman began to feel as if she were falling.

"No!" she cried out and sat up in her bed. She looked around frantically trying to figure out where she was. Her eyes found familiar blue ones surrounded by leathery skin and white hair. The bushy eyebrows knitted together in concern and surprise.

"Easy now, there, there." Hoggle patted her hand with his own and was taken aback when she grasped it

like it was a life line. "It's alright 'Dora. Just a bad dream s'all. We need to get you up and dressed though. The High King and his Fiancée have come for a visit,." He set about getting her out a plain dress and some comfortable shoes.

She blinked away the sudden tears that threatened to spill from her own grey eyes. "It was so real, Hoggle," she whispered.

"S'pose it was, way you were carryin' on," he said absently as he set the clothes on the foot of the bed and laid her shoes on the floor. "There ya are. Get dressed, Missy. We might have to leave suddenly, and you need to be ready."

Theodora nodded. "Thank you, Hoggle." she said timidly and pushed the covers off her indicating that she was going to follow his directions.

With a curt nod, Hoggle left the room. He closed the door quietly behind him and smiled a rare smile to himself. Taking a deep breath and clearing the smile from his face he trudged off down the hall towards the sitting room. He could hear loud voices coming from there.

"-he is born they will be banned from this world for all time." came the smug know-it-all voice of Sarah's ancestor.

Hoggle snorted to himself. He had never really interacted with the Angel and he was sincerely happy he hadn't. He had gotten the impression that his role in this adventure was no more than that of the mascot or comic relief, which irked him to no end. Sure he was a coward. Sure he got himself into more mischief than he could get himself out of. Certainly he was short, grumpy and an easy target. But by Zeus's left toe he didn't care for it, not a bit. And he'd be damned if he let some overgrown pigeon make a fool out of him. So he stomped into the sitting room where instantly its occupants fell silent.

"Well! Is it possible the lot of you could make anymore noise? I don't think the other side of town heard ya!" He gave them all a steely blue glare which skipped over Sarah and landed on Luca last lingering for a minute, conveying his extreme displeasure. "'Dora's comin' out and she had a bad dream. _You_ might want to talk to her about it, seein' how she talks to you the most. Just behave yourself!" he warned.

"Oh, really Hedgewart," Jareth rolled his eyes at Hoggle's hijacking of the whole room. To his surprise Luca nodded to Hoggle and bounded off in the direction of Theodora's room. He raised an eyebrow and looked to Ahiel.

"The One thinks they'd make a good couple," Ahiel shrugged.

Sarah snorted, "The One thinks, or _you_ think?" she smirked.

Ahiel shrugged, "I just happen to concur."

* * *

Luca paused outside of Theodora's room. He took a deep breath and then raised his hand, knocking softly. "Theodora love, can I come in?" he called.

"Yes," came the soft feminine reply.

Steeling himself for the inevitable barrage of feelings he would have when he entered, he lifted the latch and pushed open the wooden door. Stepping over the threshold he looked up to find the girl clutching the bedpost with one hand. Her other hand was held outstretched to the side as she tried to balance on one foot. Apparently she was trying to stuff one of her dainty feet into a shoe that Hoggle had left for her. Her nose was wrinkled up, her small tongue poked out of the side of her mouth, and one of her pretty eyes squinted in concentration.

She looked up at him to find a foolish grin plastered on his face. Her own face relaxed from its own comic pose. "I wager you think this is amusing? I cannot see my own feet! Do I have this shoe on the right foot?" she asked and sat down on the bed. She leaned back on her hands and brandished her foot at him, plainly asking for his assistance.

Luca's grin became wider and he crossed the room coming to kneel in front of her. Gently he took off the shoe and shook his head. "No, you didn't." he chuckled at her frustrated expression.

"It is _not_ funny, you know!" she huffed but smiled when he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, perhaps it is a little funny." she admitted with a soft laugh.

Luca held her tiny foot in one hand, barely aware that he was stroking her calf with the other. Theodora's face reddened at the intimate action. "Luca?"

"Mmm? What?" He looked down at what his hand was doing and it stilled suddenly. He looked up at Theodora guiltily, but upon seeing the blush that was creeping from her cheeks downwards over the porcelain skin on its way to parts unknown, and the way her eyes were glazed over in a way he'd seen on many an aroused female, his guilt was assuaged. He smiled up at her with adoration which, if possible, further deepened the flush.

"My shoes." she said softly.

Luca set the heel of her foot down upon his knee gently and scooped up the correct shoe. "You mean this?" he teased her as he once again caressed the silky skin of her calf in slow lazy circles with his thumb.

She bit her lip and nodded, "Please?" she whispered.

Luca cheered triumphantly within his own heart. He did affect her after all. He bent down and kissed the top of her foot and slipped the shoe onto it. Then he released it and gave the other foot the same treatment. He savored the hitching of her breath as his lips brushed her skin. When he straightened he looked up into her eyes. "Anything for you mi'lady."

Suddenly Theodora's eyes began to water and a tear escaped and she sniffled. "Oh Luca. I had a terrible dream."

His heart plummeted at the sight of her sudden tears. He moved to her side on the bed at once, taking her into his arms, he stroked her hair as she shed tears onto his shoulder. "Shh, there now. It's over. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it." he vowed, and his arms tightened about her.

She shook her head against him, "Not me, I'm not worried for me. I was told one of you will die, though I am certain it will not be you. But still, I could not stand it if anything were to happen to anyone because of me." She sniffled again and let him rock her back and forth.

"Who told you this?" he asked softly. "Ahiel?"

She shook her head again. "Promise me," she began pleadingly, "promise me that you won't be angry when I tell you."

Luca stopped rocking her and loosened his arms from around her. He took her chin in one hand and lifted her face so that their eyes met. "Never. Never could you anger me. You have begun to mend my soul. Anything you tell me, I know you do not say out of malicious intent. Now, who was it that told you that one of us was going to perish?" he urged her to answer as he wiped away a tear with the pad of his thumb.

"It was your wife," she said sadly and she tried to avert her gaze from Luca's.

Luca brought her face back to his again, "Don't turn away. Please, not ever. I am not angry," he tried on a smile even though he was certain that it looked as fake as it felt. He could see that her body seemed to relax. "What-," he stopped himself to rethink his question and he searched her eyes, looking for any hint of fear. He was beginning to depend on this girl. She was becoming everything to him. He had to find a way to let his wife and child go somehow. Theodora was life to him, he couldn't let go of her now. He didn't want to seem harsh to her, but then again, he also wanted to know what it was that Madith told her. "Tell me exactly, what did she say?"

He was surprised when Theodora's own hand came up and stroked over his cheek. Her gray eyes soft and filled with unshed tears. Behind them was an emotion that Luca could only describe as love and yearning which shook him more than he liked. "She said that I should tell you that they are both happy, and also to stop mourning. She seemed worried for you as I confess, I too have been. Then she told me that I had to prepare for a long journey, an awakening, and the loss of a loved one."

Luca's face became unreadable and he stiffened. He promised her that he would not get angry. But it seemed as though she were echoing the words of many who did not understand his loss. It was all he could do not to push her from him and stomp out of the room. He searched her eyes again, and again he found the love and the yearning. But he also found resignation. As if she knew that by telling him this, she was pushing him away, but there was no doubt that she was not just telling him this to make him get over his wife. She was telling him this because Madith asked her to and it was the truth. At that realization he deflated and slumped into the tiny form of the pregnant girl in his arms. "I'm sorry Theodora," he whispered.

"Whatever for?" she murmured as she ran her fingers through his dark locks.

"For a brief instant I thought you were lying. I should have known better," he murmured into her hair and then kissed her temple. "Forgive me."

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes. How could I not?"

With that she wiggled out of his arms, having realized that she had been within the man's embrace for more time than was appropriate, and she stood. She felt oddly cold without him holding her and a bit lonely. But she was unsure how she would go about telling the man how she felt, let alone know what to do with him once she laid claim to him. She looked down at him and noticed he looked a little lonely himself. She smiled down at him and held out her hand.

"Come, let's go and meet our friends. I am sure they will be wondering if you've done something untoward with us being alone so long." she teased.

This seemed to have the desired effect and Luca smiled at her roguishly. "I agree. I am handsome and irresistible, after all." he said as he stood and puffed out his chest comically. He grinned as he was rewarded by tinkling of her soft laughter.

"Quite." she smiled at him and took his arm, letting her agreement with his vain assessment of himself warm his heart as she led him out of the room. When she again looked up at him she was delighted to see that she had the same effect on him as she had on her. Luca Boromi was blushing and grinning foolishly. She laughed again and laid her head affectionately against his shoulder. After all, as attracted to him as she was, he was, first and foremost, her dearest friend.

* * *

It had been a full twenty minutes since Luca had gone to check on Theodora and Sarah was growing impatient. She had asked Hoggle to start getting Theodora's things together. Jareth had assured her that there was absolutely no way that Theodora could endure crystal teleportation in her condition, which meant that once again they were heading for a lot of road travel. It also meant that they were going to have to find some other means of transporting her. She suggested that they try putting the girl in a coach, which gave Jareth a brilliant idea. Once they were out of town he would summon a royal coach and a few servants and things. Jareth would ride in the coach with Theodora and Hoggle. The High King would often travel this way if going to visit neighboring Kingdoms. Not his most preferred method of travel, but as he was the only High King in recent memory to have the use of crystals he bowed to tradition. At any rate, the less people were reminded of just how powerful he was, the better. This made it easier to surprise his opponents and deal with them swiftly, something he learned as the Goblin King. Often it was just his name that people feared, he rarely ever exercised the full extent of his magic and he preferred it that way.

It frustrated Sarah to no end. Sarah was like a bull in a china closet, maximum force for the maximum result. She sincerely couldn't understand Jareth and all his subtle manipulations, if you could call nearly bogging her and Hoggle for an innocent kiss on the cheek subtle.

A soft gasp from the hallway caught Sarah's attention and she turned towards the noise. When she laid eyes on the girl on Luca's arm she staggered under the weight of the girl's gaze. She fell to her knee and bowed her head. A deep reverence had filled her and Sarah was certain that this was as close to something Holy she had ever been. And she'd been in the presence of an Angel of God for some time now. In fact she was supposedly one of his servants, but never had she felt a direct presence before, never...until now. "Mi'lady..." she whispered in awe.

"Oh! No no no no...please, don't do that!" came the soft voice of the girl. "Ahiel, please tell her to stop!" the girl said fretfully.

"She is your protector my dear, she only feels the influence of The One upon her. Her destiny pulls her to you. All Guardian Angels feel this way for their charges. That you carry the child of God only makes it all the more potent. Worry not, it will pass," he stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"Get up Granddaughter, you are making your charge uncomfortable," he commanded gently.

Sarah rose immediately and took a few steps forward. "Forgive me Honored Mother, I have never felt this way before. I am a bit overwhelmed. My name is Sarah." she held out her hand to the smaller girl and was shocked to find that the girl's hand was so small in her own. She seemed so fragile. Sarah automatically felt the need to protect and mother the girl even though they were the same age. She raised her eyes to Luca and sent him a querying look as she let go of the girl's hand.

"What took you so long?" she said suspiciously.

Luca held up both hands, "Theodora had a nightmare and we talked about it, and I helped her put on her shoes." he smiled affectionately at the girl.

Sarah looked from Luca to Theodora and back again. "When we get on the road we need to talk." she told him.

Luca winked at her and smiled which made Sarah roll her eyes skyward.

"Not to interrupt, Sarah darling, but I believe that you and I had a wedding to go to before we left town," Jareth said from behind her.

Sarah whirled around to face Jareth her eyes wide, "Oh bloody hell! I'd forgotten." she bit her lip.

Ahiel stepped forward. "I will perform the ceremony. We can't be bothered with your foolish feminine mucking about looking for the right place to marry or a priest. Besides, there are no churches in this town anyway, only hoodoo hoodwinking quacks without a bloody clue as to what they're about!" he motioned the both of them forward.

Sarah huffed but stepped forward nonetheless after a scathing glare at her Grandfather. Jareth smirked and stepped up next to her and they faced the Angel together.

"Now, turn to each other and join hands." Ahiel commanded. They did so and he looked heavenward before closing his eyes. "Oh mighty One, these two wish to be bonded together as husband and wife. It is with humility that we ask if this arrangement is agreeable to you?"

There was a rumble from under the floorboards that seemed to radiate upwards and it shook the cottage, a few pictures falling to the floor. It was brief and everyone managed to stay on their feet, even Theodora, with Luca's help of course.

Ahiel lowered his head and then peeked one eye open at Sarah and then turned and opened the other eye when he saw Jareth. "Right, well, you don't appear to be pillars of salt, so, I suppose that's a yes then."

Sarah looked at Ahiel with a mixture of shock, confusion and indignation. "What? That's it?" she asked.

"Well, yes." Ahiel brushed an invisible speck of dirt from his spotless robes. "What did you expect?"

Sarah threw her hands up, "Well I mean, look, there's usually at least a of ceremony of some sort, right?!"

Ahiel snorted. "Silly human sentimental rubbish! God is God, Sarah. Imagine, if you will, an Omnipotent all powerful being. A Great Creator. He says, '_let there be light',_ and there is. He creates Man and Woman in his own image and asks only that they love him and obey him, and he loves them back. I don't recall anywhere in history where he ever said, '_let there be foolish ceremonies and much waving about of flaming pots of incense and idiotic chanting in latin'. _Do you? No? Alright then, moving on..." he put one hand on each of their shoulders. "On a more personal note, I love you both. You are _both_ like my own children. It makes me very happy that you are now married, and I can't wait until there are lots of little Fae/Angel babies running about!" he hugged them both, smiled in a fatherly way and disappeared.

Sarah took a deep breath and let it out again before turning to Jareth, finding him gazing down at her lovingly. "I believe," he said pulling her into his arms and burying his hand in her hair, "that you owe me a kiss, wife!"

Sarah squeaked as Jareth claimed her mouth with his. She melted almost instantly and allowed him to slip his skillful tongue past her lips to caress hers. When they pulled apart he was gazing at her heatedly and Sarah felt heat of her own pooling between her legs. She cast a glance about the room to find that everyone had cleared out to give them a moment alone together. She smirked and grabbed him by his dragonskin leather jacket and pulled him roughly down to meet her lips again. When she released him they were both out of breath. "Later. You. Are. Mine." she purred out and nipped at his lower lip.

He growled possessively and was about to push her up against the nearest wall when they heard a clearing of a throat. They turned simultaneously to find Hoggle glaring at them from the kitchen entryway. "If you two are quite done rutting against each other, there's things that need ta be done and a young girl to get to safety!" he turned on his heel and strode back into the kitchen.

Jareth groaned as Sarah turned back and went to kiss him again. He kissed her lightly but pulled away quickly. "I hate to admit it, love. Higgle is right. We need to get things ready. Prepare the girl. I will go and gather things from my palace and then transport them outside the town. I will be waiting for you there. You have one hour. Meet me at the Inn that we passed at the edge of town. You remember the one?" he took both her hands from his jacket and held them in his own above his heart awaiting her answer.

She nodded. "The Old Coach Inn?" she asked.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "The very same. One hour, my love. Don't keep me waiting," he stepped back from her and then threw a crystal at his feet. After the smoke cleared Sarah saw with a heavy heart that he was indeed gone.

* * *

The tremor that shook the little cottage in Befelheim rumbled through the town and outwards stretching to the hill where Baal was discussing his attack plan with his loyal minions. Having been subject to such upheavals the whole of their existence in hell, not one of the lower level demons in human guise recognized the significance of such a tremor. None, except for Baal himself. He turned abruptly on his heel to level a narrow-eyed gaze at the town where the disruption had come from. A low growl from the the depths of his being immediately silenced his servants, who cowered even though his ire was not yet directed at them.

"Go. Find them," he said in a low voice. "Bring the women to me."

With that the disguised demons rushed off towards the town to do their Lord's bidding. Baal's cold gaze never left the town, even as he had given the order, as if he thought his quarry would scamper away unscathed the minute his back was turned.

* * *

**Author's Note: How are you my lovelies? I hope you've been well. Thank you for the lovely reviews thus far. Trying to kick the writer's block in the butt and get you more chapters soon. **

**As always~ Love to my Beta**

**And Happy Halloween! =)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Soul Mate **

**Chapter 6: The tunnels**

_**Warning: **_**This chapter is a bit dark as the story will increasingly become. If violence disturbs you please don't read.**

* * *

Sarah stood looking at the spot that Jareth had been in only moments prior and sighed deeply. She turned to head towards the kitchen and was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of being exposed. As if she were being hunted and had made the mistake of wandering out into the open.

"They're coming," she hissed out into the empty room and rushed to the front door.

"What the hell are ya doing!" Hoggle exclaimed. He had been busy stuffing some supplies into a sack when she had barreled passed him and opened the door and peered out into the street.

"Shite!" she growled and shut the door and bolted it. Turning to Hoggle with her face drained of color she narrowed her eyes at what he had been doing. "We don't have time for that! Is there another way out?"

"Don't have time for-!" Hoggle dropped what he was doing and hurriedly scrambled off the stool he'd been standing on. "What in Zeus's beard is going on!" he demanded.

"Demons! Demons for fuck's sake!" she stabbed a finger violently towards the door. "Out there, you git! Now for the last bloody time, is there another way out?!"

Hoggle wasted no more time arguing and motioned for her to follow him. As if on cue there was a knocking on the door. Apparently their would be assailants thought it polite to knock first. Perhaps this would give them an added extra bit of time. Especially if Luca was going to be just as thickheaded as Hoggle.

They got to the back of the house to find Luca in a cloak as well as Theodora. "We saw a pair of red eyes through the window and then they were gone. We need to get out of here!" Luca said in a low voice, as if afraid he would be overheard.

Sarah nodded in approval and gestured for the two to follow she and Hoggle to the back of the house.

Once at the end of the hall, Hoggle stooped and moved aside a small table holding a vase. Under it was a braided blue rug. He flung it aside to reveal a trapdoor.

"Is that a cellar?" Sarah asked, as Hoggle heaved up the door.

Hoggle shook his head. "It goes down to the Sewers. We can get out through there, there's a dry route that takes you out of the city. Smugglers use it," he said matter of factly.

Sarah blinked at Hoggle and almost asked how he'd come to know about it, but under the circumstances she decided that this was not, in fact, the time for it. Instead she looked up at Luca from her crouched position next to Hoggle. "You need to go down first. We'll lower Theodora down to you and then Hoggle. I will go last," she said with a tone of finality.

Luca turned and smiled at Theodora, then dropped a kiss into her hair. "Don't worry, I will catch you."

She nodded and then watched as he sat down with his feet and long legs dangling into the hole. With a final look he dropped down into the darkness. The three left heard a solid thud of feet hitting stone. "Alright! Lower her down!" his voice echoed off the stone walls.

Sarah and Hoggle helped the girl sit on the floor and slide downwards into it. Luckily she had a mostly slender frame and she fit through. They had all watched as Luca had squirmed to get his shoulders through. Now watching the pregnant girl barely make it, Sarah was not sure she would. She was indeed smaller framed than Luca. But her wings would make it nearly impossible. It was increasingly becoming a possibility that she would have to stay behind. "You next Hoggle," she said quietly.

"Send him down!" called Luca.

Hoggle sat down with his feet in the hole. He looked up at Sarah and the sound of the front door crashing inwards made his eyes widen in terror.

"Go! I'll meet you and Jareth at the Old Coach Inn!" she hissed and drew her daggers from her brace, not bothering to listen to Hoggle's protests she stood up and turned to face the intruders. She unfastened her cloak and threw it to the side. Her black wings unfurled, obscuring any view of the trap door from the invaders.

Hoggle hesitated, torn between going down the hole and staying with his best friend. In the end he knew he was the only one who knew the tunnels, and that Luca and Theodora would be lost within minutes. "I'm sorry Sarah!" he cried out helplessly and then dropped out of sight.

When Sarah heard an 'oof' from below indicating that Hoggle made it down she kicked the door closed with her foot and stood over top of it just as a figure rounded the corner.

It was the beggar from outside. "Our Lord requests your presence my dear," the man hissed. His eyes flashed red and Sarah felt an anger in the pit of her stomach burning hotly and spreading throughout her body. She gripped her knives in a fighters grip, the blades pointed downwards and the sharp edges pointing outwards.

"Unfortunately I will have to decline the invitation," she smiled sweetly.

"You don't have a choice!" it hissed again and came at her.

* * *

Jareth appeared in the rose garden, oddly right where he had left his mother only a week or more ago. She appeared to be enjoying her tea time.

When Jareth appeared suddenly Selene let out a squeak and then choked on her tea. "Jareth! What on earth!" she sputtered.

"Sorry Mother, no time to explain! I'll be away a bit longer, I just popped in to grab a few things and then I've got to get back to Sarah," he bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Oh! Did you make up?" she tittered.

"Yes, _and_ we got married," he said happily and left her sitting there staring after him in complete shock.

"Jareth! You got married and you didn't even tell me!" she shouted as she rose from the table and followed after him.

Jareth had almost made it to the Entrance Hall when his mother skittered around him and stopped him with two hands on his chest. "Hold it! You're not going anywhere until you tell me exactly what is going on!" she glared up at him.

Jareth placed his gloved hands over hers and removed them from his chest, "Mother, at the moment everything is fine. But if you continue to impede my progress in getting the things I need, they soon won't be," he stepped around the blond woman and headed towards the royal stables.

"My own son, a complete stranger," she murmured as she watched him stalk off.

* * *

Sarah whirled with a precision born of countless knife fights and hard gypsy living. She tucked her wings in and rolled to her right under the sweeping arm of a rather large, demon-possessed farmer. The house was being overrun, despite the three or four she had already dispatched. She had to get out into the open so that she could draw them away from the trapdoor. It had been only a few minutes but the constant dodging of blows was wearing her down.

The farmer managed to grab her foot as she was rolling to her feet. She reversed her position, pivoting so that her back was turned towards him and used his grip on her to balance herself as she drove her other heel into his face. It connected with a sickening crunch and a bellow of rage and pain. She risked a backwards glance as her foot was released, and smiled with the confirmation that she had indeed broken his nose.

When he made no further move to come after her, Sarah took an assessment of the remaining intruders.

Five. Five men stood between her and the door.

Deciding that she would only be backed into a corner if she chose a defensive position, she charged. Her daggers flashing in the sunlight streaming through the cottage windows. She came upon her first attacker as he made to grab her upper body, she dove under his arms and sliced at the backs of his knees, severing tendons and muscle. Without pausing she moved through the assailants, taking them out one by one with moves meant to disable.

But the last one she came to was one she recognized. The man on the hill with Ba'al. His once blue eyes now all black, his mouth slightly slackened and a haunted look on his face. All at once the face seemed to become slightly more animated and the man smiled. "You see Sarah, you could not run from me my pet," the deep voice of her hellish tormentor oozed from the lips of the man once called Darren.

Sarah felt her stomach lurch. "I was never your pet you demented monstrosity!" without thinking she leaped at the man and found herself straddling him with her knife pressed to his throat.

"No, please don't!" the mans eyes were wide with terror and his irises and pupils back to normal. "I couldn't stop myself, please!"

Momentarily stunned at the shift in appearance Sarah abruptly released the fellow only to find herself pinned to the floor with her wrists being held painfully by Darren. His eyes were once again all black. He laughed and ground himself against her. "Did you think it would be that easy? He is soulless. There is no coming back, he did not sacrifice himself as you did. However," he bent down and bit her shoulder sinking his teeth into her and drawing blood, which dripped down over his chin when he once again pulled back to grin at her pain and horror stricken face, "you shan't be so lucky the next time. When I take claw to you again my lovely, it will be for all eternity and nothing, not even the One himself will be able to save you from me!"

Sarah made her struggles less violent as it would make it seem as though she were tiring and losing hope. She whimpered and repeated the word "no" weakly over and over. The pressure on her wrists lessened and she took the opportunity to flip him back over. The possessed man made a startled noise which turned into gurgling from Sarah's dagger buried in his throat.

She stood up and spat on the dying body before her, "Choke on it you fucking prick!" she sneered and turned on her boot heel. Once outside she took to the skies as quickly as she could wincing as the bite on her shoulder pained her. There was no telling where those tunnels came out, it was her hope that Hoggle would get them to the Inn where Jareth would hopefully be waiting.

* * *

Luca craned his neck to look upwards after setting Theodora on her feet and called for Sarah to lower Hoggle down the hole. Soon he saw the Dwarf's feet dangling over the side and heard him say, 'I'm sorry Sarah', before he dropped downwards. Luca held out his arms and caught the old Dwarf only find himself a moment later to be engulfed in complete darkness.

He dropped the old Dwarf unceremoniously, "What in Hades is going on?!" he hissed into the blackness.

"Nice catch you gypsy riffraff!" Hoggle said bitingly.

"Riffraff? Riffraff!? Better a scoundrel than a coward! You _left_ her up there!" Luca stooped to Hoggle's level and grabbed the dwarf by the vest and shook him.

"Oh! Get offa me! She couldn't fit through the door and she's buying us time! Don't you think for one minute I woulda left the little lady up there if'n we had a choice! She's my friend, and a damn better one than you are!" the dwarf slapped away Luca's hands.

Luca let go and straightened. "What do we do now? I can't see my hand in front of my face," Theodora said softly breaking the awkward silence.

Luca twisted his ring counterclockwise three times and clock wise once. Immediately the ring started glowing, it was a soft white glow that lit the brick tunnel adding a slightly blue hue to Theodora's pale face. He reached out with his other hand and took her own, squeezing gently. "Light we have, a way out however..." he trailed of and glanced down at the dwarf who rolled his eyes.

"Follow me," he grumbled.

They followed the dwarf silently, not knowing how safe the tunnels were. Hoggle seemed to know where he was going at least, leaving Luca to wonder, just as Sarah did, why he knew the passages so well.

* * *

Jareth sat astride Braxis outside the Inn. As usual he was punctual while, true to form, Sarah seemed not to be where she was supposed to be. "Very probably doing something she ought not to be doing," he muttered to himself.

"Beg your Pardon, Sire?" Daniel leaned on the pommel of his saddle, his longish red hair flopping comically over one eye.

"Sarah," Jareth offered by way of explanation to the man who, once upon a time, had lived several hundred years perched on the head of a disguised Bronold. He had run into Daniel at the stable and hadn't been able to shake the fellow as he claimed he needed, "excitement, adventure and really wild...stuff!"

Daniel offered the High King a knowing grin. "Careful now Jareth old fellow! That bird is trouble with a capital 'T'. Running amok willy nilly without so much as a care in the world, 'cept what she's after. Single-minded she is. Tunnel vision I think its called," Daniel sniffed.

Jareth chuckled. "This from a man who spent hundreds of years as a hat because he called his lover by another woman's name. Oh yes, you're very wise about women. Very wise indeed," he smirked at the redhead.

"You know you're a very large prat, don't you?" Daniel grinned.

"Am I? I hadn't noticed," Jareth said dryly and then sighed heavily.

"Look, Mate. She'll be here just like she said she would, just have a little faith," Daniel offered.

Just then a large shadow passed over the two blocking out the sunlight. Jareth looked up and frowned. It was Sarah. He dismounted just as she landed and caught her in his embrace. He dropped a kiss into her dark hair. "Precious, where are your charges?" he asked.

"Somewhere in the secret underground passages beneath the city. We were ambushed at the cottage, Hoggle took Luca and Theodora into these smuggler's passages through a trapdoor in the house. I couldn't fit through so I held them off while they made their escape. Hoggle should be here soon if he can get them out," she took a deep breath and let it out.

Jareth pulled back from her, "Well, I suppose you did everything you could do. No sense in you going down after them and getting lost if Hoggle is the only one who knows the way out. After all it's how you got out of the oubliette I tried keeping you in."

"For all the good it did you," Sarah smirked.

Jareth kissed the tip of her nose and then tilted his head in Daniel's direction. "You remember that Sod, I believe?"

Sarah turned her head in the direction that Jareth indicated her face breaking out into a smile, "Alright there Daniel?"

Daniel offered her a sly grin, "Oh yes, love. Fine and dandy indeed. You're looking as delicious as ever," he winked and grinned when Jareth glared at him.

Sarah rolled her eyes skyward.

* * *

Though they had Luca's ring to light the way, the darkness seemed to envelop them and creep into their souls. The shadows didn't seem to retreat far at their approach and actually seemed to be watching them. Luca could almost imagine he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and sometimes he thought he caught the iridescent glint of eyes watching him from the darkness.

After about a half hour of this Theodora had jumped when a shadow darted out approximately fifteen feet in front of them down a corridor on the right. That brought Luca up short and he turned to look at her. Her face was pale and he was convinced that she had seen it too. "Hoggle!" he hissed.

Hoggle stopped in his tracks and turned around and Luca felt an unease at the way his normally dusky skin seemed gray. "What?" he asked trying to keep the fear out of his voice and not succeeding entirely.

"What?" Luca hissed out incredulously. "Them that's what!" he pointed in the direction that they had seen the dark figure not moments before. "Don't even attempt to pretend that you don't know what I am talking about, you cowardly little toad!"

"Luca, don't be unkind. Obviously Hoggle is as uncomfortable with whatever is out there as you are, he's just dealing with it differently," she stepped around Luca and towards Hoggle, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiling. "I know you would never hide anything from us," she said pointedly.

Hoggle flushed guiltily. "I don't think that they can hurt you, you aren't who they're here for," he said softly.

Theodora cocked her to the side. "What do you mean Hoggle?"

A blood curdling scream sounded in the distance and Luca drew his sword with one hand and pulled Theodora back to his side gently with the other. "Hoggle you have five seconds to tell me what the hell is going on!"

Hoggle seemed unphased by his threat and in fact had not seemed to hear him whatsoever. Instead he seemed to have turned away from his two companions altogether and was transfixed upon the spot where the shadow had disappeared.

Luca held up his arm in an effort to see what Hoggle was so fixed on and found the answer to be almost more than he could bare. At first he didn't see anything and then there was a flash of reflected light off of two small surfaces that looked like eyes. Luca pointed his ring back where he'd gotten that reflection and a scream caught in his throat. It was a figure, only unlike any other being he had ever seen before. By all rights the thing should not have been moving at all. It was a corpse, or what was left of one. The figure was stooped and lacked one arm, its chest cavity looked as thought it had been gnawed upon, leaving it almost hollowed out and its ribs were broken and sticking out through decaying skin. The face itself was its own special brand of horror. At some point the nose had completely rotted away, along with its left cheek giving the thing a skeletal appearance.

"The One save us all," Theodora breathed.

Luca frowned and took a step backwards and pulled Theodora with him. His attention still on the figure as it seemed to take a step forward with each of Luca's retreating ones. "We need to get out of here Hoggle!" he hissed.

"Take that corridor over there," Hoggle said absently and pointed to a corridor directly to their right, "and follow it until the end. Then go left and you'll come to a ladder. It will get you to the Inn, Jareth should be waiting for you," he finished without taking his eyes off the creature.

"Hoggle, we won't leave you. Don't be a fool! Let us just kill it and get out of here!" he grabbed Hoggles shoulder.

Hoggle shook him off and turned slightly then looked up at him with resignation. "I've already done that...once," he said almost sadly. "Get her out of here. I'll keep it from following you."

"You foolish old man! You will do nothing of the sort! You're coming with us!" Luca felt his throat constrict and he choked on the words, his tongue suddenly too thick to say much more.

Hoggle gave the Gypsy a rare smile. "If you see Sarah, tell her that I love her and that I'm sorry I left her," he said and then turned back to face the figure. Which had seemed to halt its advance.

Theodora stooped and kissed Hoggle on the cheek and Luca nodded finally. "You are a good friend Hoggle," he said.

"If you say so. Now get!" Hoggle scowled and made a shooing motion.

With one last helpless look Luca took Theodora's hand and they left in the direction that Hoggle had indicated.

Hoggle swallowed hard as he turned his gaze back to the creature. "I've come back, my brother," he said.

**

* * *

**

**Authors Note: Thank you all for staying with the story. For any of those who are following "The Goblin Kingdom", the sequel is up. Thank you for your continued support of my writing. =)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Soul Mate **

**Chapter 7: And one shall fall **

**Warning: Mature content to follow.**

* * *

Sarah paced back and forth in front of the carriage that Jareth and Daniel had brought with them. Her face was stony and it pained Jareth to see such an expression on her young face. Undoubtedly she had suffered much in her short life. He found that he couldn't help but feel conflicted about his own part in that. On the one hand he did place her with the Gypsies as a babe. On the other hand he felt that she would wither at court, like so many other wilting weakened flowers of the nobility. She would not have the fire she did now. She would not be the woman he loved. Though, looking at the way her brow crinkled and her normally full lips were pressed together in a thin line he couldn't help but feel as if he'd been selfish. He sighed inwardly and instead concentrated on working out how to find Hoggle. With every passing minute it was becoming more and more likely that Hoggle had either gotten the three of them lost, or worse, his past had come to claim him at long last. "Fool," he muttered to himself.

Sarah turned to look at him, an ebony eyebrow raising in question. Jareth took a deep breath. "I fear that Hoggle might be in more danger than previously thought," he said gravely. He opened his mouth to explain further when a shout from down the road interrupted him.

They all turned towards the sound to find Luca carrying Theodora in his arms and hurrying towards them quickly.

Sarah rushed forward and Jareth vaulted off his horse to follow after her. When Sarah reached them Luca had set a distressed Theodora on her feet. She seemed shaky but otherwise fine.

Sarah looked her over while Luca bent at the waist to try to catch his breath. When he was breathing normally he still did not straighten. Instead he sank to his knees his expression was wide-eyed and lost, and Theodora stepped forward and laid a hand upon his shoulder, her cheeks wet with tears.

"Where is Hoggle?" Sarah asked.

"He-," Luca stopped as if at a loss of words. "He's gone."

Sarah stiffened, "What?"

"We were in the tunnels and there was this _thing_...it was following us. It used the shadows to hide itself and Hoggle stayed behind. It almost seemed to be after him," Luca looked up into Sarah's eyes, his own held a haunted expression.

Sarah's eyes grew stormy and grew suddenly determined, "Where did you exit the tunnel?"

"No, Sarah," Jareth set his hand on her shoulder and Sarah shook him off.

When she turned around to face him her green irises were all but eaten up by the black of her pupils, "No? No?! I'll not abandon him, Jareth!"

Though the look on her face actually struck a little fear in his heart, Jareth pressed on. "Hoggle saved Theodora to give you a chance to finish what we've started. If you go down there you'll get lost, or worse, you die down there. Then his sacrifice will have been for nothing!" he near shouted the last.

Sarah turned her face away from him, her lips pursed and tears glistening in her eyes. Jareth's anger abated quickly in the face of her tears and he pulled her into his arms where she burrowed her face into his chest. "I cannot live without you, please do not ask me to."

"He's gone, I can't believe he's gone," her voice was muffled in the dragon skin overcoat he was wearing and he stroked her hair and murmured nonsensical comfort words in her ear.

* * *

"You have failed me," a hiss from the humid darkness struck a rare emotion deep inside Ba'als being. It was terror; sharp, throbbing, and paralyzing. It closed over his throat, robbing him of speech.

He made a choking noise before he felt the burning sensation in his chest, it burrowed into him, like a writhing living thing. Worming its way inside until he felt the burning turn cold and penetrating. Oh how he hated and loved his Master. His dark father. Such exquisite pain, such lovely torture. Just as suddenly as the pain came, so did a pleasure. This...was his Master's way of control. He punished to the point of madness and then gave you release. The promises of rewards so vast, of being fulfilled in such a way that the very thought of it being taken from you ripped you apart from the inside. Ba'al cried out in ecstasy and pain and longing. When his lord's presence left his body he sunk to his hands and knees trembling from the experience. Had he tear ducts he would have let out a wrenching sob.

"There, there now. My pet. My dark Prince," the voice of his Master soothed. The unholy presence caressed his cheek. "I have an idea how you might make this up to me. Shall I tell you?" the hissing voice became several hissing voices, each echoing the first, one right after another.

"Please," the darkly rich and steady voice of Ba'al was reduced to barely a whisper, shuddering forth in a forced breath. In the darkness, all he had was sensation and sound. He had only once before seen his Master. He was the most beautiful and the most terrible sight Ba'al had ever beheld. To gaze upon such unholy beauty nearly destroyed him. And so his Master, out of love for his favorite disciple always met

with Ba'al in darkness. "Tell me how to please you my Master!" he begged earnestly.

"Such devotion," purred the voices. "Go to the Goblin King, take him. Seduce his soul, make him one with us. Use his daughters, his wife. Whatever it takes to sway him, and then you wait. You wait for her. She will come to you. You will have her my pet. I promise you. And when you do, you will give her to me."

This last startled Ba'al. She was his prize and his alone! He fought to keep the snarl from springing forth from between his canines. Mercifully he was banished from his Master's side before such disaster could happen.

* * *

Hoggle awoke to a bright but not unpleasant light. In fact the light was quite comforting. As he opened his eyes, one after another he expected that they should hurt from the brightness. To his surprise no pain came. In fact the light was soft and warm. He looked around and found himself to be in a sunlit clearing in the middle of a lush forest. The grass he was lying on was soft, thick and cool. He lay back and cradled his head on his crossed forearms and looked up into the blue of the sky. White clouds floated past and he could make out their shapes.

"Hello Hoggle," a familiar voice broke the serenity of the forest. Hoggle sat up and glared.

"Oh, its you," he rolled his eyes and climbed to his feet.

Ahiel smiled warmly at the Dwarf, "Yes, me."

"So, you're the one who saved my life then? Well, back to Sarah I suppose," he dusted off his pants then straightened and looked up into Ahiel's ageless eyes expectantly.

Ahiel merely stood there in his spotless white robes looking back down at him sadly.

Hoggle frowned. "Well, what are you waitin' for, you big overgrown turkey?!?!" he growled.

A ghost of a smile flitted over Ahiel's lips and then it was gone. Replaced by a very serious look. "You're not going back, Hoggle."

"Not going ba-," Hoggles face turned red with anger, "see here, you pain right in my wrinkly dwarven backside! You get me back to Sarah, she _needs_ me!"

Ahiel sighed, "No, Hoggle. You're dead."

"What? Am not!" he huffed indignantly and looked over his body as if to verify that fact for himself.

"I have to take you to the One now," Ahiel said, not phased in the slightest by the Dwarf's denial.

Hoggle looked up to find the Angel's hand stretched out to him and despite his reluctance to believe, he felt too _good_. He was too light, he felt no more burden. It was if his past had been washed away. He stared at Ahiel's hand with a haunted expression. "I've done terrible things, what will he do with me?"

Ahiel smiled. "You sacrificed yourself to save the One's child, Hoggle. You've atoned. In fact, he is quite pleased and eager to meet you. Come, let's not tarry in the between lands any longer."

Hoggle let out a whoosh of held in breath and took the Angel's hand, and the next thing he knew the light in the clearing seemed to grow tenfold and he was enveloped in a feeling he had never experienced before. Pure love and acceptance.

* * *

So it was with a heavy heart that our companions traveled towards the Goblin Kingdom. Sarah was distant, her heart sore over the loss of the first friend she had ever made in the Underground. He was amongst her first memories in this life.

She was tiny when he first came to visit her, perhaps two or three. And yet... she knew him as soon as she laid eyes on his worn and craggy face. "Hoggy!" she had cried and jumped into his arms, her own tiny limbs thrown about his neck, giggling as she peppered his weathered cheeks with kisses. He was overjoyed that she remembered him (though he made a show of telling her to get off him). He had always loved her...she knew that now. She was his best friend and he hers. They were kin. And now...she had one less person in the world. One less person at her side in the fight against evil.

It was on the last night of travel that they made camp in an oasis (which Jareth swore she had created) that Sarah would finally be snapped out of her self-imposed darkness.

They sat around the fire and Jareth watched her eat her meal, or rather...push it about her plate. His mismatched ice blue eyes stared at her intently. She failed to notice and his impassive mask deteriorated into a frown. "Sarah," he said her name as he stood up, his eyes still trained on her.

Her own raised to meet his and her voice let out a distracted, "Mmm?" as if just realizing he existed.

He held out his hand to her, "I would have a word with you, in our tent."

She looked at him with confusion but nodded nonetheless. He would no doubt wish to discuss strategy with her. They would enter into the Goblin Kingdom by tomorrow afternoon and they would need a plan.

The inside of the tent was much like the garbage heap hovel in the labyrinth. From the outside it seemed like an ordinary tent. On the inside it was a spacious suite with bathing chamber and a large bed. A roaring fire blazed in a fireplace. Jareth shut the door behind him and locked it.

The sound of the lock turning caused Sarah to whip around, ready to inquire what he was doing when she found herself with her back against the chamber wall. Jareth's gloved hands were planted on either side of her head and he was staring at her with desire and...anger.

"Jareth, wha-," her question was silenced by his lips crashing down upon hers. It was anything but gentle. Her lips were pressed tightly against her teeth. She pushed against him until he released her lips from his own. She glared at him and opened her mouth to protest when he interrupted her.

"Enough!" he growled. "No more! You have sat about listlessly for much of the duration of this trip. You eat little and you talk less. Your attention span is less than adequate for protecting Theodora."

Sarah glared harder at him, but said nothing. He was right. She could not think of one satisfactory excuse for it other than her grief. Even she knew that this was not the time for it. Instead she nodded.

His anger bled away, seemingly as eager as she to be done with this conversation. He leaned his forehead against hers, "I hate feeling so far away from you. You can't force me to watch you suffer on this way. We'll mourn him later, together. We will have a funeral for him, and I am sure that Marius will be happy to erect a monument to him. Just please... stop locking yourself away from me," he pleaded earnestly.

In answer Sarah threaded her fingers through his silky blond hair and pulled him downwards, her lips met his halfway and she tasted him.

Her tongue swept its way into his mouth and she tasted magic and spice laden desire. Without warning she felt herself being lifted off her feet, "Jareth!" she gasped as she wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively.

He carried her backwards until he suddenly dropped her into a sitting position on the bed. Sarah squeaked in surprise and Jareth used the opportunity to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. Which turned into a battle of wills. Tongues and teeth and lips met fiercely in a battle for dominance. Jareth was the first to pull away with a wicked smile. "Now, let's see precious. Where were we when we were so rudely interrupted a few weeks ago? Mmm? Oh, yes!" he brought his now gloveless hands up to the top of her shirt and he ripped it downwards. Sarah made a sound of shock which quickly turned into a moan as the High King's talented lips, tongue and hands worked their wicked way over her breasts.

Soon she found herself divesting herself of her confining clothing and Jareth similarly disrobing. Then her new husband stalked his way up the bed towards her like a hungry predator. Sarah swallowed hard as he knelt on the bed and pulled her into his lap. A cool masculine hand insinuated itself between her shoulder blades and stroked. Sarah let out a strangled moan and straddled Jareth's lap.

Jareth chuckled, "Still your favorite spot, I see."

Sarah's head had fallen back as he lovingly stroked the nerves between her wings causing heat to pool between her legs. When her head dropped back down she opened her eyes and it was Jareth's turn to swallow as there was a fire in them that he never thought he would see again. Hunger, pure and ravenous, shone brightly in her eyes and she reached between them and grasped him. Without a word he was guided into warmth and she sunk down, impaling herself until they were fully connected. He kissed her and held on when she gasped from the initial pain. But when it subsided, Jareth began to move within her.

Soon they were lost in the rush of sensations. Sarah felt as if she were riding on a great wave, and just as she thought she could no longer stand the intensity, her world exploded in a cascade of light and color and emotion. Her body ablaze with her release. She called out his name as though it were a talisman to ward off evil spirits. Vaguely she heard him call out her name in turn and then she felt a hot liquid burst deep in her belly. She bucked her hips trying to ride out the sensation until the pulsing stopped.

After a time, Jareth pulled her with him as he laid back into their pillows. He was breathing heavily and his heart was racing. She pressed the shell of her ear against his toned chest and listened as it slowed back into its steady even pace.

"I love you," she whispered against him.

"Because you know what's good for you," Jareth chuckled and then noticed that she didn't seem to be laughing. "Well..._laugh_," he commanded and tickled her side, eliciting a giggle from her. "There, not so hard was it?"

"Cheater," she laughed and snuggled down next to him. She was asleep within minutes.

"I love you too," he whispered into her hair and let sleep claim him as well.

* * *

Meanwhile in the lands belonging to the Goblin King, Marius was dreaming. Or...so he hoped. The Labyrinth, once like a living thing...was now a dying mass of stone and hedge. Within its decaying walls lay the corpses of its denizens. It was as if Death himself had swept through with his scythe and cut down all in his wake. However, it all seemed too real to be truth. Nothing was ever what it seemed in this place.

It was then that the whispering started. It came as a steady low murmur from just behind him, he turned and found nothing. More whispers sounded in the dark, like many children telling each other secrets. But then the whispering increased, there were more voices added one upon another, and they grew louder...soon turning into screams. He started running in the vain hope that he could outrun them somehow. The screams and whispering followed him, even when he entered the clearing in the center of the hedge maze.

It was only when the screaming ceased that he realized where he was. He searched the clearing to make sure that he was safe. His eye suddenly caught on something, a form in the darkness. He crept closer...squinting to try and make out the shape of the person who seemed to be chained to a statue of the former Goblin King, his cousin. A wail erupted from his lips followed by sobbing. He fell to his knees...the figure on the statue was the mangled body of his Queen, her red curls matted to her face with caked blood.

When his cries died away another voice spoke as if just at his ear. It sounded like a high-pitched growl, like the buzzing of locusts...like pestilence...like death. "_Kill Jareth and we will let her live_."

* * *

There were times in Sarah's young life when she believed that she had seen all the horror that she could possibly have seen. She had been to hell and had come back, though her memory was frayed, the more terrifying moments still haunted her dreams. She had lost a dear friend, she had fought and sacrificed and bled. Nothing however could have prepared her for what now lay before her.

Jareth stood a few inches in front of her, his fists clenched as he stared out into the madness that was once his Labyrinth. The playground of a young noble fae, once glittering and full of magic and wonder, was now so twisted and perverse that it looked more like the hell she dreamed of every night, rather than the wondrous adventure land from her first youth.

"This is the work of your nightmare demon?" his voice was low and dangerous.

Sarah winced at the raw pain behind it and she took a step forward so that she could see his face. His jaw was clenched and his mismatched blue eyes hard as stone. "I can see no other possibility," she said quietly.

"This was my first Kingdom," he turned to look at her, his face had taken on a unreadble expression. "Marius and Anyanka have daughters, they are my heirs until we have children of our own," he turned and slid his hand over the back of her neck gently and leaned his forehead against hers. His eyes slid shut. "This is a trap my love, but even so... I must save them."

"What about Theodora?" she asked.

"I think that the best course of action is for us to all stick together. This could just be a way to separate me from you," he pulled her into his arms and Sarah was surprised to feel Jareth trembling in her embrace.

"Jareth?" she whispered against his shoulder.

He pulled away and slid a finger gently over her jaw and then under her chin, lifting it so that he looked up into his crystalline blue eyes. "I love you, Sarah. Whatever happens when we enter the Labyrinth know that I shall never let you be taken from me again."

A tear slid down her cheek unbidden and he stooped forward and kissed it away, then he brushed his lips against hers. Though it was more chaste than previous kisses it was almost worshipful in its sweetness.

A cleared throat brought their attention to Luca who had his arm around Theodora's waist. Theodora was misty eyed from watching the married couple. "As wonderful as this all is, do you have a plan?" he looked back and forth between the two of them.

Jareth nodded. "We have to get to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. We can't risk crystal transportation, and the Labyrinth and the junkyard are now far too dangerous to leave Theodora in. The only thing left to do now is try to get to King Marius and find out how we can undo this...mess."

Daniel who had been standing behind Theodora and Luca stepped up between them and threw an arm around each of them, grinning foolishly, "Sounds like a good plan to me; dashing off into unknown danger, the distinct possibility of death, dismemberment and the world coming to an end. Jareth old boy...you throw the best parties!" he grinned.

Sarah rolled her eyes skyward, "While I don't care for the dismemberment part, I certainly agree that the best way to protect Theodora is to keep moving. We can't afford to be caught now," she said.

They all seemed to agree and then looked to Jareth, apparently appointing him leader. "Very well," he looked from Luca to Sarah, "Keep Theodora between you. Daniel, make yourself useful and bring up the rear."

Daniel opened his mouth for a smart comment and was silenced by a glare from Sarah. "Ouch, Sarah darling, if looks could kill! You wouldn't mangle a face as pretty as mine, would you?" he asked hopefully.

Sarah arched an eyebrow at him and said nothing.

"Riiiigghht...shutting up and taking the rear, got it!" he said in an overly cheerful tone and dropped back behind Luca as they picked their way down the hill towards the Labyrinth gates.

**Author's Note: I hope the steamy bits get you in the mood for a wonderful Valentines day weekend! Happy Valentines Day all. And as always, love to my beta 3. **


End file.
